Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the first edition
- Part 1 Introduction
- Part II The prokaryotic algae
- Part III Evolution of the chloroplast
- Part IV Evolution of one membrane of chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum
- Part V Evolution of two membranes of chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum and the Chlorarachniophyta
- 9 Cryptophyta
- 10 Heterokontophyta, Chrysophyceae
- 11 Heterokontophyta, Synurophyceae
- 12 Heterokontophyta, Eustigmatophyceae
- 13 Heterokontophyta, Pinguiophyceae
- 14 Heterokontophyta, Dictyochophyceae
- 15 Heterokontophyta, Pelagophyceae
- 16 Heterokontophyta, Bolidophyceae
- 17 Heterokontophyta, Bacillariophyceae
- 18 Heterokontophyta, Raphidophyceae
- 19 Heterokontophyta, Xanthophyceae
- 20 Heterokontophyta, Phaeothamniophyceae
- 21 Heterokontophyta, Phaeophyceae
- 22 Prymnesiophyta
- 23 Algae and the environment
- Glossary
- Index
15 - Heterokontophyta, Pelagophyceae
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the first edition
- Part 1 Introduction
- Part II The prokaryotic algae
- Part III Evolution of the chloroplast
- Part IV Evolution of one membrane of chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum
- Part V Evolution of two membranes of chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum and the Chlorarachniophyta
- 9 Cryptophyta
- 10 Heterokontophyta, Chrysophyceae
- 11 Heterokontophyta, Synurophyceae
- 12 Heterokontophyta, Eustigmatophyceae
- 13 Heterokontophyta, Pinguiophyceae
- 14 Heterokontophyta, Dictyochophyceae
- 15 Heterokontophyta, Pelagophyceae
- 16 Heterokontophyta, Bolidophyceae
- 17 Heterokontophyta, Bacillariophyceae
- 18 Heterokontophyta, Raphidophyceae
- 19 Heterokontophyta, Xanthophyceae
- 20 Heterokontophyta, Phaeothamniophyceae
- 21 Heterokontophyta, Phaeophyceae
- 22 Prymnesiophyta
- 23 Algae and the environment
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
PELAGOPHYCEAE
The Pelagophyceae are a group of basically unicellular algae that are cytologically similar to the Chrysophyceae, in which they were previously classified (Andersen et al., 1993). The cells are very small (3–5 μm) members of the ultraplankton and appear as small spheres with indistinct protoplasm under the light microscope. Recent studies on the sequences of small-subunit RNA nucleotides in these algae have shown them to be closely related to each other and distinct from other members of the Heterokontophyta (Saunders et al., 1997). While these algae have been shown to be distinct from other members of the Heterokontophyta based on molecular data, they do not have cytological or morphological characters which are very different from other members of the phylum.
Pelagomonas calceolata is a very small (1.5 μm × 3 μm) ultraplanktonic marine alga with a single tinsel flagellum and basal body, and a single chloroplast and mitochondrion (Fig. 15.1(c)) (Andersen et al., 1993). Another member of the marine ultraplankton is Pelagococcus subviridis, a green-gold spherical non-motile cell (2.5–3.0 μm) with a single chloroplast, mitochondrion, and nucleus (Fig. 15.1(a)) (Vesk and Jeffery, 1987).
Members of the class are economically important because some of the algae produce “brown tides.” Aureoumbra lagunensis (Fig. 15.1(b)) is the causative agent of brown tides in Texas (DeYoe et al., 1997), while Aureococcus anophagefferens forms brown tides along the coasts of New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
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- Information
- Phycology , pp. 365 - 367Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008