Chaetoceros coarctatus is a marine, unicellularspecies of planktonicdiatom in the genusChaetoceros, first described by Lauder in January 1864 using samples from the Hong Kong harbor.[1] Like many diatoms, it is preyed upon by ctenophores.[2][3] During warming periods of the Mediterranean Sea, this non-native species, first introduced through the Suez Canal, expands its range.[4] Cell chains showcase pairs of posterior and anterior terminal setae, as well as intercalary setae, for anti-predatory mechanical protection and floating benefits.[5] These silica appendages have spines, curved tips, and are longer those on other members of the Chaetoceros genus for higher survival benefits.[6]
^Sardet, Christian (5 June 2015). Rafael D. Rosengarten; Theodore Rosengarten (eds.). Plankton: Wonders of the Drifting World. Translated by Christian Sardet; Dana Sardet. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 46. ISBN978-0-226-18871-3. OCLC889996855.