Home / Chrysophyceae / Unicells / Flagellated / Kephyrion

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Name derivation:

Classification:

Kephyrion  Pascher  1911;  32 of 62 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 20123).

Order Chromulinales;  Family Dinobryaceae

Synonym:  Stenocalyx Schiller.

 

Morphology:

Flagellated unicells with a ‘bottle’ or ‘jar’ shaped lorica, often with spiral ridges.  Asexual reproduction is similar to Dinobryon in that one daughter cell leaves lorica (apparently as a temporary amoeba) and builds its own new lorica.

Similar genera:

Pseudokephyrion has two emergent flagella.  Often the second emergent flagellum is difficult to see, so some species of Kephyrion may be transferred to Pseudokephyrion (Guiry and Guiry).

 

Habitat:

Freshwater lakes.  Generally rare but widespread.

 

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 22 March 2013.

Pascher, A.  1911.  Über Nannoplanktonten des Süsswassers.  Berichte der deutsche botanischen Gesellschaft 29: 523-533.