Coelastrum

Coelastrum sp.

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

Features

The representatives form hollow colonies are spherical or polygonal. They usually consist of 8 to 32, rarely up to 128 single cells (always 2n). The diameter of the colony of up to 120 microns. The cell wall is smooth or warty. Adjacent cells are connected by cell wall extensions. The cells have a single, parietal chloroplast with a pyrenoid.

Asexual reproduction takes place by car colony formation, ie that forms a new colony within a mother cell wall. Sexual reproduction is not known at Coelastrum.

Occurrence

Coelastrum occurs in the plankton of oligotrophic and eutrophic waters.

System

The genus comprises Coelastrum few species. AlgaeBase lists 20 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. 190, ISBN 3-440-09719-6