Observations and typification of diatoms of the Order Rhopalodiales (Bacillariophyta) in the Josef Pantocsek Collection, Hungarian Natural History Museum. II. Epithemia species from Kerch: significant morphological variation across taxa referred to the genus Rhopalodia and the description of a new genus

Species of Epithemia described by Pantocsek from Late Miocene marine sediments from Kerch are examined using type material from the Pantocsek Collection, Hungarian Natural History Museum (BP). Light and scanning electron microscopical observations are presented for the eight new taxa described by Pantocsek. We interpret these observations to be comprised of three species and suggest synonymies for the others. The valves have an elevated keel containing a tube-like canal raphe with evident portulae and costate fibulae. The canal raphe is lined with areolae. Uniseriate striae are comprised of areolae containing volate occlusions. The occlusions possess multiple points of attachment within each areola. Comparing these species with other Rhopalodiales suggests the structure of the raphe, striae and areolae differ from the generitype of Rhopalodia, and we therefore describe a new genus, Maeotia, for these fossils. Other extant species may also be assigned here, pending further morphological analyses. We lectotypify Pantocsek’s taxa with original slides from BP.