Ankistrodesmus

Ankistrodesmus falcatus

Ankistrodesmus is a genus of colony-forming green algae from the class of Chlorophyceae.

Features

The representatives have narrow, sickle - shaped or needle until something schraubige cells. These are combined to 4-16 to loose colonies. Each cell has a single nucleus and a parietal chloroplast. This fills the cell in its entire length and has no pyrenoid.

Asexual reproduction by the formation of daughter colonies, which consist of 4 to 16 cells and are released by the rupture of the shell of the mother cell. The daughter colony is held together by a jelly. Sexual reproduction is not known at Ankistrodesmus.

Occurrence

Ankistrodesmus comes in the plankton mainly from nutrient-rich, stagnant waters before, but also in water pools and garden ponds. It is also found in the plankton of rivers.

System

The genus comprises Ankistrodesmus few species. AlgaeBase lists 15 recognized species.

Documents

• K.-H. Linne von Berg, K. Hoef -Emden, B. Marin, M. Melkonian: The Cosmos algae leader. The main freshwater algae under the microscope. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2004, pp. 168, ISBN 3-440-09719-6