First record of diatom species Pleurosira laevis (Ehrenberg) Compère for Uzbekistan and Central Asia

Abstract

Pleurosira laevis was first recorded in the Zarafshan River, one of the largest rivers in Uzbekistan. The populations from Uzbekistan were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. The distribution, morphology, and ecology of this species are described. This diatom species is likely to be brought occasionally together with the intentional introduction of other organisms and/or it could penetrate from the water bodies of the neighboring countries where it had appeared earlier.