MISCELLANEOUS FRESH WATER MICROALGAE IDENTIFICATION
FREMONT AREA
Photos and text by Ray Wong
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Cladophora (Cladophora
sp.)
Green
algae, filamentous, attached.
Kingdom: Plantae; Division Chlorophyta;
Class Chlorophyceae; Order Cladophorales; Family Cladophoracae. White
scale bar is 5 microns.
Cells cylindrical, forming many branching
filaments. Multi-walled cells - interior wall of cellulose covered
by a gelatinous-like outer wall. Cells with green chloroplast and pigment
bodies. Algae attached by well defined root-like structure called
a holdfast.
Cell diameter 45-150, length 300 to 1,000
microns.
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Closterium (Closterium
sp.)
Green
algae, planktonic (floater)
Kingdom: Plantae; Division Chlorophyta;
Class Chlorophyceae; Order Zygnematales ; Family Desmidiaceae. White
scale bar is 5 microns.
Cells curved (crescent-shaped), rarely
straight, with or without median constriction. End of cells vary,
pointed, blunted, or rounded. Cell wall smooth with little ornamentation;
longitudinal striations. Pigments green, occasionally yellow-green.
Cell diameter: 16 - 75 x Length: 100 -
800 microns
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Pediastrum
(Pediastrum sp.) Greenalgae,
planktonic (floater)
Kingdom: Plantae; Division Chlorophyta;
Class Chlorophyceae; OrderChlorococcales; Family Desmidiaceae. White
scale bar is 5 microns.
Free-floating colony of plate-like cells
in the interior and exterior cells with one or two spines. The number of
cells often times is characteristics of the species. Cell walls resistant
to decay and many species are found in fossil condition. Cell wall may
be smooth or granulated. Colony size is up to 40 microns.
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Scenedesmus(Scenedusmus
sp.)
Green algae, colonial, planktonic (floater)
and/or periphytonic (attached)
Kingdom: Plantae: Division Chlorophyta:
Class Chlorophyceae; Order Chlorococcales; Family Scenedesmmaceae. White
scale bar is 5 microns.
Colony usually of four cells, the two inner cells are oval to box-shaped,
whereas the two outer cells have spines and may be crescent-shaped. Occasionally,
some colonies maybe found with 12 or more cells Cell length 12.5 microns,
width 5 microns.
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Dinoflagellate(Peridinium
sp.)
Planktonic (floater, able to propel itself
in the water column)
Kingdom: Plantae; DivisionPyrrophyta;
Class Dinophyceae; Order Peridiniales; Family Peridiniaceae. White scale
bar is 5 microns
Free-swimming cells with an angular outline.
Cell wall thick and with grooves appearing as lines, one across the equator,
and on one hemisphere with another groove running up the longitudinal length
of the cell. The hemisphere with the longitudinal groove ends with two
projections. The other hemisphere ends with a single projection. The projections
may be pointed or blunted. In each groove is a flagella. Cells usually
always solitary. Cell length 32, width 21 microns.
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Chroomonas(Chroomonas
sp.)
Planktonic (floater, able to propel itself
in the water column)
Kingdom: Plantae ; Division Uncertain
status; Class Uncertain status; Order Cryptomonadales; Family Cryptochrysidaceae
White
scale bar is 5 microns
Tear-drop shaped cells with two unequal
lengthen flagella are attached towards the pointed end of the cell. Flagella
two to three times length of cell. Eyespot may be present, two or three
blue-green to bluish chloroplast bodies may be present. Cell length 13,
width 7 microns.
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Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas
sp.)
Flagellate. Planktonic (floater, able
to propel itself in the water column)
Kingdom: Plantae; Division Chlorophyceae;
Class Volocales Order Family Chlamydomonadaceae.
White scale bar is
5 microns
Cells round to oval in shape, with one
cup-shaped chloroplast and one or more chloroplastid body. Eye-spot may
be present. Two flagella usually of equal length, attached in the cup-shaped
chloroplast area. Cell usually covered in a clear to semi clear gelatinous-like
layer. Some 500 plus species have been identified. Cell diameter 5 to 10
microns.
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Phacus (Phacus sp.)
Flagellate. Planktonic (floater, able
to propel itself in the water column) or periphytonic (attached)
Kingdom: Plantae; Division Euglenophyta;
Class Euglenophyceae; Order Euglenales; Family Euglenaceae. White scale
bar is 5 microns
Solitary free-swimming. Cell top-shaped
with a longitudinal spiral with a rigid shape. Cell wall often with dot-like
ornamentation arranged in the longitudinal axis. Single flagella attached
in a gullet at the rounded end of the cell. One or two ring-like bodies
located within the center of the cell. Eyespot may be present in some species.
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Euglenoid (Eutreptia sp.)
Flagellate. Planktonic (floater, able
to propel itself in the water column)
Kingdom: Plantae; Division Euglenophyta;
Class Euglenophyceae; OrderEuglenales; Family Euglenaceae. White scale
bar is 5 microns
Cell shape variable, though usually an
elongated tear-drop to pear-shaped to stubby pencil-shaped. Cell wall ornamented
with small dot-like lines arranged length-wise to cell body, though spirally
twisted. Two equal lengthed flagella attached at the rounded end of the
cell, in the area of the gullet. Gullet is generally present; as are vacuoles.
Cell diameter 23, length 178 microns. |
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