Gonium O.F.Müller, 1773: 60
Lectotype species: Gonium pectorale O.F.Müller
Original publication: Müller, O.F. (1773). Vermium terrestrium et fluviatilium, seu animalium infusoriorum, helminthicorum et testaceorum, non marinorum, succincta historia. Vol. 1 pp. [1-33], 1-135. Havniae & Lipsiae: Apud Heineck et Faber, typis M. Hallager.
Download PDF
Type designated in Ehrenberg, C.G. (1838). Infusionsthierchen als vollkommene Organismen. I-II. pp. 1-547, 64 pls.. Leipzig: Leopold Voss.
Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.
Description: Colonies flattened, containing 4, 8, 16 or 32 cells arranged in one layer and oriented in the same direction. The 8-celled colony exhibits a characteristic cell arrangement for a given species. Cells ovoid to angular, each with two equal flagella, a stigma, two contractile vacuoles at the base of the flagella and a massive cup-shaped chloroplast with one or multiple pyrenoids. Each protoplast enclosed by a gelatinous sheath, and the cells attach or connect to one another by the union or attachment of these sheaths, forming a colony. Asexual reproduction by autocolony formation, each cell of the colony dividing successively to become a daughter colony. Sexual reproduction isogamous, forming walled aplanozygotes. Germinating zygotes produce four biflagellate gone cells either joined in a colony (germ colony) or released separately.
Comments: Gonium is cosmopolitan in freshwater; G. pectorale is one of the most commonly encountered species of green algae. Although assigned to the Volvocaceae, a relationship of Gonium with Astrephomenaceae was proposed based on ultrastructure of various species. Sexual isolation within a taxonomic species was demonstrated in G. pectorale and G. viridistellatum. Requirements for carbon sources known for three spcies. for which growth was supported by acetate, pyruvate and DL-lactate. Contrasting to other volvocacean genera, Gonium is heterogeneous in embryogenesis, gametic union and zygote germination. Development of the flagellar apparatus was examined in G. pectorale colonies, and there was a differentiation between peripheral and central cells.
NCBI Nucleotide Sequences
Numbers of names and species: There are 19 species (and infraspecific) names in the database at present, of which 13 have been flagged as currently accepted taxonomically.
Names: ('C' indicates a name that is currently accepted taxonomically; 'S' a homotypic or heterotypic synonym; 'U' indicates a name of uncertain taxonomic status, but which has been subjected to some verification nomenclaturally; 'P' indicates a preliminary AlgaeBase entry that has not been subjected to any kind of verification. For more information on a species click on it to activate a link to the Species database):
Gonium compactum Iyengar C
Gonium discoideum Prescott C
Gonium dispersum A.Batko & H.Jakubiec C
Gonium formosum Pascher C
Gonium formosum f. suecicum Huber-Pestalozzi C
Gonium formosum var. alicurense S.A.Guarrera & R.O.Echenique C
Gonium glaucum Ehrenberg S
Gonium indicum M.T.Philipose C
Gonium lacustris W.West C
Gonium maiaprilis Hayama, Nakada, Hamiji & Nozaki C
Gonium multicoccum M.A.Pocock C
Gonium octonarium M.A.Pocock C
Gonium pectorale O.F.Müller C - type
Gonium quadratum E.G.Pringsheim ex H.Nozaki C
Gonium quadratum E.G.Pringsheim S
Gonium sacculiferum P
Gonium sociale var. sacculum ?Stein C
Gonium sociale (Dujardin) Warming S
Gonium viridistellatum Watanabe, M. C
References
Cambra Sánchez, J., Álvarez Cobelas, M. & Aboal Sanjurjo, M. (1998). Lista florística y bibliográfica de los clorófitos (Chlorophyta) de la Península Ibérica, Islas Baleares e Islas Canarias. pp. 1-614. Burgos: Asociación Española de Limnología.
Information contributed by: H. Nozaki. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 13 May 2010 by M.D. Guiry.
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.
