Eudorina Ehrenberg, 1832

Holotype species: Eudorina elegans Ehrenberg

Original publication and holotype designation: Ehrenberg, C.G. (1832). Über die Entwickelung und Lebensdauer der Infusionsthiere; nebst ferneren Beiträgen zu einer Vergleichung ihrer organischen Systeme. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Physikalische Klasse 1831: 1-154, pls I-IV.

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Description: Colonies ovoid, ellipsoidal or cylindrical, containing 16 or 32 cells arranged radially in the periphery of a gelatinous matrix, forming a hollow sphere. The matrix does or does not form individual sheaths (species dependent) . Cells ovoid or spherical, each with two equal flagella, a stigma, two contractile vacuoles at the base of flagella, and a massive cup-shaped chloroplast with one (basal) or multiple pyrenoids. Stigmata of anterior cells larger than in posterior cells. No differentiation between somatic and reproductive cells occurs except for E. illinoisensis, in which the anterior four cells are small and facultatively somatic. Asexual reproduction by autocolony formation, each cell of the colony dividing successively to form a plakea, which becomes a daughter colony after inversion. Sexual reproduction anisogamous and produces walled aplanozygotes. Cells of colony divide successively to form sperm packets (bundles of male gametes), or develop into female gametes without cell division. Upon germination, zygotes give rise to a single or two biflagellate gone cells.

Information contributed by: H. Nozaki. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2012-01-25 by M.D. Guiry.

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

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Masjuk, N.P. & Lilitska, G.G. (2011). Volvocales. In: Algae of Ukraine: diversity, nomenclature, taxonomy, ecology and geography. Volume 3: Chlorophyta. (Tsarenko, P.M., Wasser, S.P. & Nevo, E. Eds), pp. 218-225. Ruggell: A.R.A. Gantner Verlag K.-G..

Comments: Eudorina is cosmopolitan in freshwater; E. elegans is among the most encountered species of green algae. Eudorina initially included only E. elegans; later seven more species were described. Comparative morphology and sexuality in Eudorina and Pleodorina studied using 73 clones from 44 natural populations to evaluate taxonomic characters at specific and infraspecific levels. Pleodorina included in Eudorina based on sexual compatibility between P. illinoisensis (E. illinoisensis) and three Eudorina species (including E. elegans), and on the transformation from somatic to reproductive cells in P. californica in some experimental conditions. Pleodorina and Eudorina are now distinguished based on the presence or absence, respectively, under normal conditions, of obligately somatic cells. Various studies have been carried out on Eudorina species including, ultrastructure of colony development and stigmata, experiments on synchronous populations and genetic analysis.

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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=43492

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 25 January 2012. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 25 November 2024