Asteromonas A. Artari, 1913

Holotype species: Asteromonas gracilis Artari

Original publication and holotype designation: Artari, A. (1913). Zur Physiologie der Chlamydomonaden. Jahrbüaut;cher füaut;r Wissenschlaftliche Botanik 52: 410-416.

Description: Unicellular, biflagellate and uninucleate algae without cellulosic walls but with cell covering in longitudinal strips. In front view cells principally pyriform with broadened apices and (3)-6 wing-like, longitudinal periplast ridges.Cells with two blunt-ended flagella arising from a shallow apical groove, an anterior stigma and without contractile vacuoles. Nucleus closely adpressed to chloroplast in chloroplast lumen. Chloroplast parietal andcup-shaped with a single, often indistinct pyrenoid which is penetrated byextensions of the nuclear envelope. Reproduction by cell division involving an interzonal spindle and phycoplast. Sexual reproduction does not occur (see, however, Gorbunova 1961).

Information contributed by: G.E. Dillard & M.D. Guiry. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2012-01-23 by M.D. Guiry.

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

Comments: A. gracilis Artari, A. octostriata Pascher and A.phacus Pascher (see Ettl 1983a for descriptions and figures), are widely distribted and are frequently encountered in marine or brackish water habitats; they have also been reported from inland salterns and brine lakes. Although lacking cellulosic cell walls, the strip-like covering external to the cell membrane of A. gracilis is a crystalline glycoprotein the deposition pattern of which is similar to that of the crystalline layer of cell walls of other volvocalean algae. This feature, in conjunction with the presence of aphycoplast during cytokinesis, suggests that Astermonas has close affinities to walled volvocalean algae; Astermonas has retained the remnants of a phycoplast but has lost the capacity to form a complete, one-piece cell wall

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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Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in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=45142

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 23 January 2012. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024