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Name derivation:
“True gift” -- True Eu- gift –dorina
Classification:
Eudorina Ehrenberg 1832; 6 of 16 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013) Order Chlamydomonadales; Family Volvocaceae
Morphology:
Spherical to cylindrical colonies. Individual cells in the colony are mostly spherical and arranged radially within perimeter of the matrix whose inside is hollow. Each individual cell has two flagella of equal length protruding from the posterior end as well as a stigma that can be anterior or posterior but is larger in anterior positions.
Similar genera:
Pleodorina is similar morphologically, but is accepted as a separate genus because under ‘normal’ conditions has some obligately somatic (i.e. non-reproductive) cells, while Eudorina has only reproductive cells.
Habitat:
Cosmopolitan, common in relatively eutrophic water
References:
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. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 10 September 2013.