Tetrasporidium Möbius, 1893

Holotype species: Tetrasporidium javanicum Möbius

Original publication and holotype designation: Möbius, M. (1893). Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Algenflora Javas. Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft 11: 118-139, Plates VIII, IX.

Description: Thalli colonial, forming highly multicellular thalli to 30 cm in length, with thousands of cells embedded in copious, homogeneous mucilaginous envelope organized in flattened or saccate, single or compound thalli. The most elaborate structure in T. lundii, with numerous balloon-like vesicles to 6 cm long attached distally on attachment stalk, vesicles later rupture and become sheet-like with perforations. In young thalli cells often touching and in twos or fours; latter more dispersed in gelatinous matrix. Cells spherical to slightly ellipsoid, 6-18 µm diameter with smooth cell walls. Cells uninucleate with two anterior contractile vacuoles; single chloroplast cup-shaped to lobed, parietal; pyrenoid single and prominent, lateral or basal, and surrounded by starch sheath; stigma absent. Asexual reproduction by autospores or zoospores, both mechanisms present in T. javanicum. Autospores 2, 4 or 8 formed per sporangium, or by biflagellate zoospores; 2-4 per sporangium. Zoospores 7-16 x 5-10 µm, spherical or oval and non-papillate, with apical flagella, cup-shaped chloroplast, single pyrenoid and stigma. Sexual reproduction isogamous or anisogamous, occurring with apically biflagellate gametes; gametes align anterior to anterior or side-by-side and fuse from anterior to posterior. Tetrasporidium in freshwater, usually in ponds attached to macrophytes; one species in each of Europe and tropical southeast Asia and a third species in both regions. Species distinguished based on thallus form and details of chloroplast morphology and pyrenoid position. The distinction of T. fottii from T. javanicum questioned by some authors. Affinities of Tetrasporidium and assignment to Palmellopsidaceae will remain unclear until ultrastructural studies of flagellated stages carried out and details of sexual reproduction clarified.

Information contributed by: D. Garbary & A. Couté. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2012-06-29 by Michael Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Bourrelly, P. (1990). Les algues d'eau douce. Initiation à la systématique. Tome I: Les Algues vertes. pp. 1-572. Paris: Société Nouvelle des Éditions Boubée.

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Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=43409

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
Michael Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 29 June 2012. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 24 April 2024