Chlorotetraëdron F. J. MacEntee, H. C. Bold et P. A. Archibald, 1978: 234
Classification:
Empire Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Subkingdom Viridaeplantae
Phylum Chlorophyta
Class Chlorophyceae
Order Sphaeropleales
Family Neochloridaceae
Holotype species: Chlorotetraëdron polymorphum (MacEntee, H.C. Bold & P.A. Archibald) MacEntee, H.C. Bold & P.A. Archibald
Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.
Description: Cells solitary or in groups, 4-90 &m wide, becoming bright orange in culture. Cells spherical, tetrahedral or saccate, the tetrahedral form occasionally persisting in mature cells or developing into four small processes. Cell walls smooth, up to 10 &m thick in P. polymorphum, with or without 4 or more short to long wall projections. Cells uninucleate when formed, becoming multinucleate, nuclear number corresponding to number of spores produced. Chloroplast single and massive, netlike; pyrenoid single and nonparietal in young cells, becoming multiple with age. Asexual reproduction by uninucleate aplanospores or uninucleate, biflagellate, naked zoospores, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 (rarely 128) per sporangium; spore number depending on nuclear number and cell size. Zoospores, with two anterior contractile vacuoles and anterior nucleus, released in group in common vesicle. Chlorotetraedron from soil (2 species) or planktonic in eutrophic freshwater; reported from Australia, Europe, Asia, North America in both temperate and tropical conditions.. Species distinguished based on cell size and chloroplast morphology. Genus of uncertain taxonomic position and requires ultrastructural evaluation to clarify relationships.
NCBI Nucleotide Sequences
As of 2 June 2009, nucleotide sequence data are available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank for 3 samples identified as Chlorotetraëdron. Taxonomic identifications of these samples to genus (or species) levels unaccompanied by explicit indication of voucher specimens may not be verifiable on morphological/anatomical grounds and consequently be of little or no taxonomic value, as noted by Harvey et al. 2009.
Numbers of names and species: There are 4 species names in the database at present, of which 3 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):
Chlorotetraedron bitridens (Beck-Mannagetta) Komarek & Kovacik C
Chlorotetraedron incus (Teiling) MacEntee et al. S
Chlorotetraedron incus (Teiling) Komarek & Kovácik C
Chlorotetraëdron polymorphum (MacEntee, H.C. Bold & P.A. Archibald) MacEntee, H.C. Bold & P.A. Archibald C - type
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: D. Garbary. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 9 May 2008 by Salvador Valenzuela Miranda.
Contributors
Many 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
and intended to be published in CD format.
The descriptions are being continually updated, however, and each current contributor is identified above.
The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present
contributors and of Dr Parker.
