Home / Chlorophyceae / Unicells / Non-flagellated / Nannochloris
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Name derivation:
Little green thing (nano- small, -chloris green). [Seems to me that the name should be Nanochloris...]
Classification:
Nannochloris Naumann 1921; 2 of 8 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013). Order Chlorellales; Family Chlorellaceae
Morphology:
Subpherical to subcylindrical Unicells 0.8 – 4.5 µm in diameter. May occur in pairs enclosed in mucilage, or often in large numbers in a mucilage mass (Schubert 2003).
Similar genera:
Similar to Nannochloropsis (Eustigmatophyceae) morphologically, as well as to several genera of greens (Henley et al. 2004). Easily confused with small cyanobacteria (Schubert 2003).
Optimal temperature:
Nannochloris has optimal growth at ~30 – 35 C.
Habitat:
Plankton and benthos of a wide trophic variety of lakes. Apparently also in brackish and marine systems. Because of their size (~2 µm) they are on the border between picoplankton and nanoplankton, thus have a competitive advantage over larger phytoplankton when nutrients are limited (large surface area to volume ratio). Easily grazed by micro-zooplankton (flagellates and ciliates), they form a link to the classical food web, along with bacteria in the microbial food web or loop (Wehr and Sheath 2003).
References:
Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 15 October 2012. Henley, W.J., J.L. Hironaka, L. Guillou, M.A. Buchheim, J.A. Bucheim, M.W. Fawley, and K.P. Fawley 2004. Phylogenetic analysis of the ‘Nannochloris-like’ algae and diagnoses of Picochlorum oklahomensis gen. et sp. nov. (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) Schubert, L.E. 2003.Nonmotile coccoid and colonial green algae. In: Freshwater Algae of North America, Wehr, J.D., and R.G. Sheath (Eds). Academic Press. Chapter 7.