Home / Chrysophyceae / Unicells / Amoeboid / Lagynion
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Name derivation:
Classification:
Lagynion Pascher 1912; 8 of 38 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2014). Order Hibberdiales; Family Stylococcaceae
Morphology:
Loricate sessile unicells with one or two chloroplasts, and with a cytoplasmic pseudopod (rhizopodium) often extending through the narrow opening at the top of the lorica, presumably for capturing bacteria. Lorica has the shape of an Erlenmeyer flask ~10 microns diameter at the base. Often clustered and attached to each other. Asexual reproduction includes a flagellated zoospore that exits the lorica, moves to a new location, and becomes amoeboid during the “settling” to become sessile and construct a new lorica (O’Kelly and Wujek 2010).
Similar genera:
Habitat:
Epiphytic in generally oligotrophic and slightly acidic freshwater lakes. A Mediterranean endemic species, Lagynion janei (Chrysophyta), occurs in periphytonic (epiphytic) assemblage on the red alga Audoinella pygmaea (Baranova et al. 2004).
References:
Baranova, S.S., O.V. Anissimova, E. Nevo, M.M. Jarygin, and S.P. Waser 2004. Diversity and ecology of algae from Nahal Qishon river, northern Israel. Plant Biosystems 138 (3): 245-259. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2014. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 30 May 2014. O’Kelly, C., and D. Wujek 2001. Cell structure and asexual reproduction in Lagynion delicatulum (Stylococcaceae, Chrysophyceae). European J. Phycol. 26:51-59. Pascher, A. 1912. Eine farblose rhizopodiale Chrysomonade. Berichte der deutsche botanischen Gesellschaft 30: 152-158.