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Dimorphococcus

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Genus of algae

Dimorphococcus
Dimorphococcus lunatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Clade: Viridiplantae
Division: Chlorophyta
Class: Chlorophyceae
Order: Sphaeropleales
Family: Scenedesmaceae
Genus: Dimorphococcus
Braun
Type species
Dimorphococcus lunatus
Braun
Species

Dimorphococcus is a genus of fresh water green algae in the family Scenedesmaceae. It is found as a component of the phytoplankton of freshwater ponds, lakes, and peat bogs. It is widespread, but usually not very common.

Dimorphococcus is usually found in small colonies of multiples of four cells, surrounded by a gelatinous mass. Groups of four cells are further attached to each other via mucilaginous strands, which are the remnants of the mother cell wall. Cells are kidney-shaped to heart-shaped, 10–25 μm long and 3–8(–15) μm wide. Each cell is uninucleate (containing one nucleus) and has one parietal chloroplast each with one or more pyrenoids.

Dimorphococcus reproduces asexually via autospores, with four spores produced per mother cell. Autospores are released through a lateral tear in the mother cell wall. After release, the empty cell wall gradually dissolves.

Taxonomy

Currently, Dimorphococcus is placed in the family Scenedesmaceae, according to molecular phylogenetic analyses.

One species, Dimorphococcus fritschii, is of uncertain status. The phycologist Chin Chih Jao considered it to have a different structure than other species of Dimorphococcus; accordingly, he placed it into a new genus, Dimorphococcopsis. The species has not been re-investigated and it is possible that the original placement was correct.

References

  1. ^ Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "Dimorphococcus". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  2. See the NCBI webpage on Dimorphococcus. Data extracted from the "NCBI taxonomy resources". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  3. Matthews, Robin A. (2016). "Freshwater Algae in Northwest Washington, Volume II, Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta". A Collection of Open Access Books and Monographs. Western Washington University. doi:10.25710/fctx-n773.
  4. Hegewald, Eberhard; Wolf, Matthias; Keller, Alexander; Friedl, Thomas; Krienitz, Lothar (2010). "ITS2 sequence-structure phylogeny in the Scenedesmaceae with special reference to Coelastrum (Chlorophyta, Chlorophyceae), including the new genera Comasiella and Pectinodesmus". Phycologia. 49 (4): 325–335. Bibcode:2010Phyco..49..325H. doi:10.2216/09-61.1. S2CID 85145401.
  5. Komárek, J.; Fott, B. (1983). Chlorophyceae (Grünalgen), Ordnung Chlorococcales. Das Phytoplankton des Süßwassers (in German). E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung. p. 1044.

External links

Taxon identifiers
Dimorphococcus
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