Compsopogon
| Compsopogon | |
|---|---|
| File:Compsopogon 1.jpg | |
| Compsopogon sp. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| (unranked): | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | Compsopogonaceae
|
| Genus: | Compsopogon
|
| Species: | C. caeruleus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Compsopogon caeruleus (Balbis ex C.Agardh) Montagne
| |
Compsopogon caeruleus, known as staghorn algae, is a species of red algae that lives in fresh water. It is a common nuisance in freshwater aquaria.[1] It is the only species in the genus Compsopogon and the only representative of the family Compsopogonaceae. It is found in North America, South America, Europe, Africa,[2] Asia, Australasia and Oceania. Compsopogon can tolerate a wide range of conditions in freshwater streams and occasionally in brackish lagoons and estuaries.[3] It propagates by asexual spores.
Compsopogon presents a thallus of simple cylindrical cells inside large covered cortical cells. In more mature and large thallus interior cells can be disintegrated, leaving only the outer cortex.
The species exhibits a wide phenotypic plasticity in studies such as field observations, with the result that historically many species have been described, when current thought treats it as a single species. There are two main morphologies in Compsopogon, one displaying regular cortical cells (morphology caeruleus), the other having cells with extra rhizoidals (morphology leptoclados).[4]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ The genus was first published from samples taken in Algeria by J.F.C. Montagne in Flore d'Algérie (1846).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
