Surirella prespanensis

The diatomaceous alga (Surirella prespanensis) is a member of the genus Surirella that includes over 500 species and lower taxonomy that live on the bottom (benthos) in various aquatic habitats around the world. About 20 species of this genus have been recorded in Lake Prespa, including Surirella prespanensis, a new species of science described in 2015. It is a single-celled microscopic plant (0.070 ÷ 0.115 [mm] in lengths and 0.037 ÷ 0.072 [mm] in width) lined with a cell wall of silicon (hydrated silicon dioxide) which gives the cell a typically bilaterally symmetrical (flat) shape. From other species in the genus this diatomaceous algae is separated by several elements from the morphology of the cell wall. The species is currently known only to Lake Prespa (a local endemic species).