| Vaucheria | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Chromalveolata |
| Phylum: | Heterokontophyta |
| Class: | Xanthophyceae |
| Order: | Vaucheriales |
| Family: | Vaucheriaceae |
| Genus: | Vaucheria |
| Species: | V. litorea |
| Binomial name | |
| Vaucheria litorea Hofman ex. C.Agardh[1] |
|
Vaucheria litorea is a filamentous species of Xanthophyceae or yellow-green algae.[2] V. litorea is a common intertidal species of coastal brackish waters and salt marshes of the Northern Atlantic, along the coasts of Europe and North America. It is also found in the Eastern Pacific coasts of Washington State.
The chloroplasts of V. litorea contain the photosynthetic pigments Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll c, β-Carotene, and the carotenoid diadinoxanthin[3] and are used by the sea slug Elysia chlorotica in a symbiotic relationship. The sea slug feeds on V. litorea, retaining the chloroplasts in storage in cells along the slug's digestive tract.[4][5] The chloroplasts contribute to the unusual coloration of the sea slug by their distribution throughout the extensively branched gut.[5]