Article

This report provides a summary of the current knowledge about the species composition of freshwater phytoplankton assemblages in the major man made and natural lakes of Sicily. The development of freshwater phytoplankton studi es in Sicily starts in 1979 and is carried out on 33 water bodies. The distribution of the major taxonomic groups (Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Ulvophyceae, Charophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Synurophyceae, Tribophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Cryptophyceae) and the frequency of the most important taxa are reported. Blooming and uncommon species are highlighted. Moreover, the chlorophyte Botryococcus terribilis, the cyanophyte Microcystis panniformis, and the tribophyte Pseudostaurastrum limneticum are recorded for the first time in Italy.