Golden algae

Golden algae
Dinobryon species from Shishitsuka Pond in Tsuchiura (Japan)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Chromalveolata
Division: Heterokontophyta
Class: Chrysophyceae
Orders

Chromulinales
Chrysamoebales
Ochromonadales
Chrysosphaerales
Hibberdiales
Hydrurales
Phaeothamniales

The golden algae or chrysophytes are a large group of algae, found mostly in freshwater.[1]

The term "chrysophyceae" should not be confused with the term Chrysophyta, which is more ambiguous.

Contents

Members

Originally they were taken to include all such forms except the diatoms and multicellular brown algae, but since then they have been divided into several different groups based on pigmentation and cell structure. They are now usually restricted to a core group of closely related forms, distinguished primarily by the structure of the flagella in motile cells, also treated as an order Chromulinales. It is possible membership will be revised further as more species are studied in detail.

Traits, locomotion, and classification

They come in a variety of morphological types, originally treated as separate orders or families.

Evolution

Chrysophytes contain the pigment fucoxanthin.[2] Because of this, they were once considered to be a specialized form of cyanobacteria. Because many of these organisms had a silica capsule, they have a relatively complete fossil record, allowing modern biologists to confirm that they are, in fact, not derived from cyanobacteria, but rather an ancestor that did not possess the capability to photosynthesize. Many of the chrysophyta precursor fossils entirely lacked any type of photosynthesis-capable pigment. Most biologists believe that the chrysophytes obtained their ability to photosynthesis from an endosymbiotic relationship with fucoxanthin-containing cyanobacteria.

References