| Chaetomorpha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chaetomorpha antennina | |
Scientific classification  | |
| (unranked): | Viridiplantae |
| Phylum: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Ulvophyceae |
| Order: | Cladophorales |
| Family: | Cladophoraceae |
| Genus: | Chaetomorpha Kützing |
| Species | |
See text | |
Chaetomorpha is a genus of green algae in the family Cladophoraceae. [1] Members of this genus may be referred to by the common name sea emerald.
Algae of this genus are made up of macroscopic filaments of cylindrical cells. [2] The genus is characterized by its unbranched filaments, making it distinctive; its closest relatives are branching species of the genus Cladophora . [3]
There are about 50 species. [3] Species include: [1]
These algae are popular with aquarium hobbyists. Dumping of aquarium specimens into waterways has led to the establishment of nonnative Chaetomorpha populations, which degrades ecosystems when the algae become invasive species. Biologists recommend boiling, microwaving, freezing, or desiccating aquarium Chaetomorpha before disposing of it to avoid inadvertent releases. [4]
The glaucophytes, also known as glaucocystophytes or glaucocystids, are a small group of freshwater unicellular algae, less common today than they were during the Proterozoic. Only 15 species have been described, but more species are likely to exist. Together with the red algae (Rhodophyta) and the green algae plus land plants, they form the Archaeplastida. However, the relationships among the red algae, green algae and glaucophytes are unclear, in large part due to limited study of the glaucophytes.
Marimo is a rare growth form of Aegagropila linnaei in which the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance.
Caulerpa taxifolia is a species of green seaweed, an alga of the genus Caulerpa native to tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. The species name taxifolia arises from the resemblance of its leaf-like fronds to those of the yew (Taxus).
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.
Cladophora is a genus of reticulated filamentous Ulvophyceae. The genus Cladophora contains many species that are very hard to tell apart and classify, mainly because of the great variation in their appearances, which is affected by habitat, age and environmental conditions. Unlike Spirogyra the filaments of Cladophora branch and do not undergo conjugation. There are two multicellular stages in its life cycle – a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte – which look highly similar. The only way to tell the two stages apart is to either count their chromosomes, or examine their offspring. The haploid gametophyte produces haploid gametes by mitosis and the diploid sporophyte produces haploid spores by meiosis. The only visible difference between the gametes and spores of Cladophora is that the gametes have two flagella and the spores have four. The Cladophora species can be a major nuisance causing major alteration to benthic conditions linked particularly with increased phosphorus loading.
Nostoc, also known as star jelly, troll’s butter, witch's butter, and witch’s jelly, is a genus of cyanobacteria found in various environments that forms colonies composed of filaments of moniliform cells in a gelatinous sheath.
Ulothrix is a genus of green algae in the family Ulotrichaceae.
Eustigmatophytes are a small group of eukaryotic algae that includes marine, freshwater and soil-living species.
Polysiphonia is a genus of filamentous red algae with about 19 species on the coasts of the British Isles and about 200 species worldwide, including Crete in Greece, Antarctica and Greenland. Its members are known by a number of common names. It is in the order Ceramiales and family Rhodomelaceae.
Cladophoraceae are a family of green algae in the order the Cladophorales. This family includes notably the genus Chaetomorpha which has a few members used in saltwater aquariums.
Botryococcus is a genus of green algae. The cells form an irregularly shaped aggregate. Thin filaments connect the cells. The cell body is ovoid, 6 to 10 μm long, and 3 to 6 μm wide. Fossils of the genus are known since Precambrian times, and form the single largest biological contributor to crude oil, and are a major component of oil shales.
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.
Oxyrrhis is a genus of dinoflagellates. It includes the species Oxyrrhis marina.
Vaucheria is a genus of Xanthophyceae or yellow-green algae. It is one of only two genera in the family Vaucheriaceae. The type species of the genus is Vaucheria disperma.
Kappaphycus is a genus of red algae. Species are distributed in the waters of East Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hainan Island, the Philippines, and Micronesia.
Zygnema is a genus of freshwater filamentous thalloid alga comprising about 100 species. A terrestrial species, Z. terrestre, is known from India. Zygnema grows as a free-floating mass of filaments, although young plants may be found anchored to streambeds with a holdfast. The filaments form a yellow-green to bright green colored tangled mat, and are composed of elongate barrel-shaped cells, each with two star-shaped (stellate) chloroplasts arrayed along the axis of the cell.
Chaetomorpha aerea is a species of green algae of the family Cladophoraceae.
Chaetomorpha linum is a species of green algae in the family Cladophoraceae.
Chaetomorpha melagonium is a species of green algae of the family Cladophoraceae.
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