Acetabularia caliculus

Last updated

Acetabularia caliculus
Icones of Japanese algae (Pl. C) (6049929357).jpg
Acetabularia caliculus (fig. 12-13)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
(unranked): Viridiplantae
Phylum: Chlorophyta
Class: Ulvophyceae
Order: Dasycladales
Family: Polyphysaceae
Genus: Acetabularia
Species:
A. caliculus
Binomial name
Acetabularia caliculus
J.V. Lamouroux [1]

Acetabularia caliculus, the umbrella alga, is a species of green alga found in shallow temperate and tropical seas. It usually grows on pebbles, shells or pieces of rock, and is often found in seagrass meadows, on mudflats and coral reefs, in estuaries and growing on the submerged roots of mangroves. Each individual thallus consists of a single cell with a long stipe and a terminal cup-shaped or flattened disc.

Contents

Description

The umbrella alga grows singly or in clusters. Each individual thallus consists of a single cell with a single nucleus. [2] There is a holdfast where the alga is attached to the substrate and a long, slender, calcified stipe or stalk. The thallus is emerald green and cup-shaped, or occasionally flattened, with twenty-two to thirty rays. The stipe is up to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) long and the disc up to 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in diameter. In immature specimens, the stipe has a complex structure of short branches but by the time the alga reaches maturity, only the scars of these remain. [2]

Distribution and habitat

The umbrella alga has a widespread distribution in shallow temperate and tropical seas, occurring on the eastern coast of the United States from North Carolina southwards, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and on the eastern side of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is also found in the Indo-Pacific and the seas around Australia and New Zealand. [3] It most often grows on pebbles, shells or pieces of rock at depths down to 20 metres (66 ft). It is often found in seagrass meadows, on mudflats and coral reefs, in estuaries and growing on the submerged roots of mangroves. [2]

Biology

The green colour of the umbrella alga is caused by the presence within the cell of chlorophyll and the plant's energy needs are supplied by photosynthesis. If the plant is broken in two pieces, each is able to survive and regenerate new parts, even the one that lacks a nucleus, although the anucleated fragment will die after a few weeks. [2] The umbrella alga has the ability to remove mercury from sea water and concentrate the metal in its tissues in polypeptides. [4]

Sexual reproduction takes place after tiny cyst-like gametangia develop on the rays of the disc. These have tiny caps which open to release gametes into the sea. Each plant produces only one type of gamete, and two gametes of different types unite to form a zygote. This sinks to the bottom of the sea and begins to produce a new stipe which later develops several whorls of short hairs and eventually a new disc. The life cycle takes about six months to complete. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acetabularia crenulata</i> Species of alga

Acetabularia crenulata, one of the many species known as mermaid's wineglass, is a form of green alga generally found in shallow tropical seas. It can be found growing in great abundance along stretches of the overseas highway to Key West, Florida bordering on Florida Bay. It has been used in some important research on nuclear and cytoplasmic relationships. During its life cycle it has one large nucleus.

<i>Acetabularia</i> Genus of green algae in the family Polyphysaceae

Acetabularia is a genus of green algae in the family Polyphysaceae, Typically found in subtropical waters, Acetabularia is a single-celled organism, but gigantic in size and complex in form, making it an excellent model organism for studying cell biology. In form, the mature Acetabularia resembles the round leaves of a nasturtium, is 0.5 to 10 cm tall and has three anatomical parts: a bottom rhizoid that resembles a set of short roots; a long stalk in the middle; and a top umbrella of branches that may fuse into a cap. Unlike other giant unicellular organisms, which are multinucleate, Acetabularia has a single nucleus, located in the rhizoid and allows the cell to regenerate completely if its cap is removed. The caps of two Acetabularia may also be exchanged, even from two different species. In addition, if a piece of the stem is removed, with no access to the nucleus in the rhizoid, this isolated stem piece will also grow a new cap.

<i>Fucus</i> Genus of brown algae

Fucus is a genus of brown algae found in the intertidal zones of rocky seashores almost throughout the world.

<i>Caulerpa</i> Genus of seaweeds

Caulerpa is a genus of seaweeds in the family Caulerpaceae. They are unusual because they consist of only one cell with many nuclei, making them among the biggest single cells in the world. A species in the Mediterranean can have a stolon more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) long, with up to 200 fronds. This species can be invasive from time to time.

<i>Caulerpa racemosa</i> Species of alga

Caulerpa racemosa is a species of edible green alga, a seaweed in the family Caulerpaceae. It is commonly known as sea grapes and is found in many areas of shallow sea around the world. There are a number of different forms and varieties, and one that appeared in the Mediterranean Sea in 1990, which is giving cause for concern as an invasive species.

<i>Halimeda</i> Genus of algae

Halimeda is a genus of green macroalgae. The algal body (thallus) is composed of calcified green segments. Calcium carbonate is deposited in its tissues, making it inedible to most herbivores. However one species, Halimeda tuna, was described as pleasant to eat with oil, vinegar, and salt.

<i>Padina pavonica</i> Species of brown alga

Padina pavonica, commonly known as the peacock's tail, is a small brown alga found in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It inhabits pools in the littoral zone typically with clayey, silty or sandy sediments. Other habitats include rocks and shell fragments in the shallow sublittoral, seagrass meadows, mangrove roots and coral reefs on tidal flats

<i>Bryopsis</i> Genus of algae

Bryopsis is a genus of marine green algae in the family Bryopsidaceae. It is frequently a pest in aquariums, where it is commonly referred to as hair algae.

Coastal fish

Coastal fish, also called inshore fish or neritic fish, inhabit the sea between the shoreline and the edge of the continental shelf. Since the continental shelf is usually less than 200 metres deep, it follows that pelagic coastal fish are generally epipelagic fish, inhabiting the sunlit epipelagic zone. Coastal fish can be contrasted with oceanic fish or offshore fish, which inhabit the deep seas beyond the continental shelves.

<i>Halimeda tuna</i> Species of alga (seaweed)

Halimeda tuna is a species of calcareous green seaweed in the order Bryopsidales. It is found on reefs in the Atlantic Ocean, the Indo-Pacific region and the Mediterranean Sea. Halimeda tuna is the type species of the genus Halimeda and the type locality is the Mediterranean Sea. The specific name "tuna" comes from the Taíno language, meaning "cactus" and referring to the resemblance of the thallus to the growth form of an Opuntia cactus.

Marine habitats A habitat that supports marine life

Marine habitats are habitats that support marine life. Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea. A habitat is an ecological or environmental area inhabited by one or more living species. The marine environment supports many kinds of these habitats.

<i>Ulva linza</i> Species of seaweed

Ulva linza is a green alga in the family Ulvaceae that can be found in British Isles.

<i>Desmarestia viridis</i> Species of alga

Desmarestia viridis is a species of brown algae found worldwide. Its common names include stringy acid kelp, green acid kelp, Desmarest's green weed, and sea sorrel, though the last name can refer to other species of Desmarestia. The light brown thallus is delicate with a disc-shaped holdfast. It releases sulfuric acid when damaged, destroying itself and nearby seaweeds in the process. They are found in shallow intertidal areas.

Desmarestiaceae Family of single-celled organisms

Desmarestiaceae is a family of brown algae, one of two families in the order Desmarestiales. The family gets its name from the genus Desmarestia, which is named after the French zoologist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest (1784-1838).

Lobophora variegata is a species of small thalloid brown alga which grows intertidally or in shallow water in tropical and warm temperate seas. It has three basic forms, being sometimes ruffled, sometimes reclining and sometimes encrusting, and each form is typically found in a different habitat. This seaweed occurs worldwide. It is the type species of the genus Lobophora, the type locality being the Antilles in the West Indies.

<i>Acetabularia acetabulum</i> Species of alga

Acetabularia acetabulum is a species of green alga in the family Polyphysaceae. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of one to two metres.

<i>Phyllophora crispa</i> Species of alga

Phyllophora crispa is a medium-sized marine red alga.

<i>Halosaccion glandiforme</i> Species of alga

Halosaccion glandiforme, also known as sea sacs or sea grapes, is a species of red algae.

Zanardinia is a monotypic genus of seaweed in the brown algae. The only species, Zanardinia typus, commonly known as penny weed, is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

<i>Udotea flabellum</i> Species of alga

Udotea flabellum is a species of photosynthetic macroalgae. It is commonly found in shallow waters around Florida and Belize in sandy areas, sea grass beds, and coral reefs. It is known for its antimicrobial properties and is also being used in cancer treatment studies.

References

  1. Guiry, Michael D. (2010). "Acetabularia (Acicularia) caliculus J.V. Lamouroux, 1824". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Sweat, L. H. (2010). "Acetabularia caliculus - Umbrella Alga". Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  3. Guiry, M. D. (2012). "Acetabularia caliculus J.V.Lamouroux". AlgaeBase. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  4. Garcia, E. M.; Reyes, R. E. (1996). "Bioconcentration of Hg in Acetabularia caliculus: Evidence of a polypeptide in whole cells and anucleated cells". Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry. 55 (1–4): 11–18. doi:10.1080/02772249609358319.