Marine benthic diatoms in the newly discovered coral reefs, off Basra coast, Southern Iraq Author Al-Handal, Adil Y. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Author Thomas, Evan W. Biology Department, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Illinois, USA Author Pennesi, Chiara Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italia text Phytotaxa 2018 2018-10-12 372 2 111 152 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.372.2.1 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.372.2.1 1179-3163 13728822 Navicula kariana var. frigida (Grunow) Cleve (1895: 28) ( Fig. 52 ) References : Poulin & Cardinal 1982 , p. 283, fig. 33; Witkowski et al. 2000 , p. 285, pl. 132, fig. 11–14, pl. 133, fig. 5–9. Features : Length 60–72 μm, width 23–24 μm, striae 11–13 in 10 μm. Description : Valves lanceolate with sub-rostrate apices. Raphe branches straight, ending centrally in expanded pores. Axial area narrow, central area very small, rounded. Transapical striae parallel throughout. Remarks : Observed specimens are slightly larger than those reported by Witkowski et al. (2000) . Ecology and Distribution: This is a cold water species and has not been reported earlier from warm waters, mostly occurs in the Arctic Ocean but also found in Britain ( Whitton et al. 2003 ) and in Canada ( Mather et al. 2010 ). Not reported previously from the Gulf. Rare in Basra corals.