Chaetopeltis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chaetopeltis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chaetopeltis orbicularis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Chlorophyceae |
| Order: | Chaetopeltidales |
| Family: | Chaetopeltidaceae |
| Genus: | Chaetopeltis Berthold |
| Species: | C. orbicularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetopeltis orbicularis Berthold[1] | |
Chaetopeltis is a genus of green algae in the order Chaetopeltidales,[2] containing a single species, Chaetopeltis orbicularis.[3] It is an epiphyte on aquatic plants and filamentous algae. It is a freshwater organism,[4] preferring flowing water;[3] it is generally common but often overlooked.[5]
Chaetopeltis is unicellular when young but later grows into a flattened, disc-shaped colony of cells up to 1 mm in diameter and one cell thick. The cells are 15–20 μm wide and 15–30 μm long, with rounded or angular by mutual compression; cells may have one or two long pseudocilia attached, oriented perpendicularly to the disc. The chloroplast is parietal and contains a pyrenoid. Cells contain [4]
Asexual reproduction occurs by the formation of two to eight zoospores, which are quadriflagellate; sexual reproduction has also been observed and it is isogamous.[4]
Chaetopeltis is usually similar in morphology to Coleochaete, but that genus lacks contractile vacuoles and has basally sheathed setae.[4] It is variable in morphology, and single-celled individuals have been described under different names, namely Oligochaetophora and Polychaetophora.[5]
