Aphanocapsa Nägeli, 1849
Holotype species: Aphanocapsa parietina Nägeli
Original publication and holotype designation: Nägeli, C. (1849). Gattungen einzelliger Algen, physiologisch und systematisch bearbeitet. Neue Denkschriften der Allg. Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die Gesammten Naturwissenschaften 10(7): i-viii, 1-139, pls I-VIII.
Request PDFDescription: Colonies many-celled, irregular, usually amorphic, microscopic (mainly benthic, planktonic, periphytic, metaphytic) or macroscopic (periphytic, aerophytic, epipelic), gelatinous, with irregularly, loosely or densely distributed cells; mucilage colorless, fine, diffluent or limited (in small, microscopic colonies), rarely yellowish, brownish or bluish (mainly in macroscopic colonies); cells without own mucilaginous envelopes. Cells spherical, after division hemispherical, pale grayish blue or blue-green, rarely bright blue-green or olive-green, sometimes with visible peripheral chromatoplasm, in planktonic species rarely with aerotopes (revision !); sometimes with granular content or with several prominent granules. Cell division always in 2 perpendicular planes in successive generations; the daughter cells separate soon from one another within the colonial mucilage and grow into the original size and spherical shape before the next division. Reproduction by the dissociation of colonies, sometimes up to small groups of cells, and by solitary cells liberated from a colony. Most species grow in periphyton, benthos and metaphyton of stagnant and streaming freshwater biotopes (usually with clear water, common in lakes), several species are known from the sea littoral (psammon, periphyton), thermal springs, or from subaerophytic or submerged endolithic biotopes. Characteristic species grow subaerophytically on wet rocks and walls or among mosses in moors and peat bogs. Planktonic species need revision (type of cell division). Distributed worldwide, but several species are ecologically sharply limited and occur in geographically limited areas.
Information contributed by: J. Komárek. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2023-03-03 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 feminine.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Strunecký, O., Ivanova, A.P. & Mares, J. (2022 '2023'). An updated classification of cyanobacterial orders and families based on phylogenomic and polyphasic analysis (Review). Journal of Phycology 59(1): 12-51.
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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=43069
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 03 March 2023. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 22 November 2024
