Sykidion E.P.Wright, 1881

Holotype species: Sykidion dyeri E.P.Wright

Original publication and holotype designation: Wright, E.P. (1881). On a new genus and species of unicellular algae, living on the filaments of Rhizoclonium casparyi. Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy 28: 27-30, pl. II.

Description: Solitary cells sometimes in clusters on host, in some species attached by mucilaginous pad. Cells mostly spherical when young, often becoming slightly irregular or flattened when mature. Cells 3-35 µm diameter, with smooth cell walls. Cells uninucleate when young, becoming multinucleate when mature; single chloroplast parietal and cup shaped to lobed, often covering entire outer surface of cell; apparently with single pyrenoid. Asexual reproduction mostly by biflagellate zoospores, rarely by aplanospores; two to many spores per sporangium, released by tear in upper portion of cell. Zoospores oval with anterior contractile vacuoles, cup shaped chloroplast and stigma. Sexual reproduction unknown.

Information contributed by: D.J. Garbary & T. Kalina. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2021-10-20 by M.D. Guiry.

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

Gender: This genus name is currently treated as neuter.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Darienko, T., Rad-Menéndez, C., Campbell, C.N. & Pröschold, T. (2021). Molecular phylogeny of unicellular marine coccoid green algae revealed new nnsights into the systematics of the Ulvophyceae (Chlorophyta). Microorganisms 9(1586): [1-26].

Comments: Sykidion is found growing epiphytically on various filamentous algae in both freshwater and marine habitats; reported from Europe. All species rarely reported with several known only from original collections. Species distinguished based on habitat, cell size and shape, and chloroplast morphology. Burrows comments that epiphytic (rather than endophytic) cells of Chlorochytrium might be confused with Sykidion. Genus included by some authors in subfamily Fernandinelloideae. Taxonomic status of Sykidion and all its species requires further study.

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=37478

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 20 October 2021. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 23 November 2024