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Chroococcidiopsis

Generic name: CHROOCOCCIDIOPSIS Geitler, 1933. Arch. Hydrobiol., Suppl. 12: 625.
Synonyms:
ANACYSTIS Meneghini, 1837. Consp. Algol. Eugan., p. 324.[Drouet & Daily, 1956; Meneghini, Consp. Algol. Eugan., p. 324. 1837.]
MICROCYSTIS Unterabtheilung ANACYSTIS Kutzing, Tab. Phyc. 1: 7.1846.
POLYCYSTIS Sectio ANACYSTIS Hansgirg, Prodr. Algenfl. Bohmen 2: 144. 1892.
Diagnosis:
Type species: Chroococcidiopsis thermalis Geitler, 1933. [Drouet & Daily, 1956; Type species: Anacystis marginata Menegh.]
Descriptions:
Komárek & Anagnostidis (1998): Cells solitary or in more or less spherical or irregular groups, with thin, firm, colourless sheaths, usually periphytic on a variety of aerophytic or submersed substrates. Cells spherical, hemispherical or irregular-rounded, enveloped by sheaths. Without pseudofilamentous stages. Thylakoids distributed usually irregularly throughout the protoplast. Cell wall S-layer of special ribbon-like type found in two strains (Budel & Rhiel 1985).
Komárek (1992): Unicellular; spherical cells, rarely solitary, sometimes gathered in free living irregular agglomerations or forming more or less spherical or irregular colonies. Cells or small groups of cells are enveloped by thin, firm, colourless, sometimes slightly layered sheaths (envelopes), which split during the liberation of daughter cells. Cells spherical or irregular spherical, with a blue-green, yellowish, greyish or reddish content, sometimesslightly granular. Thylakoids usually distributed irregularly , over the whole cell volume.
Genotype differences, molecular data:
Reproduction strategies, life cycles, cell division:
Komárek & Anagnostidis (1998): Cells divide irregularly (in various planes), successively by binary fission and retain usually their irregular shape during the cell cycle; mother cells divide often into daughter cells of different shape and size. Some cells later change into baeocytes (or only some of the cells in a colony); baeocytes few or many, of different number in various species. Waterbury & Stanier (1978) have never found motile baeocytes in Chroococcidiopsis, but this phenomenon does appear temporarily, being dependent on environmental factors (e. g., Andersen, in litt.). Divided cells or single cells sometimes are liberated from irregularly split mucilaginous envelopes (sheaths). Sheaths sometimes gelatinize. Different types of cell division and baeocyte production (large variability) were described by Geitler & Ruttner (1935, fig.12) and Friedmann (1961, fig. 25).
Komárek (1992): Division of enlargeded cells by different modes: (i) successively in different planes in succeeding generations (the daughter cells do not grow in this case usually into original shape and size before next division with the exception of liberated cells; within sheath occur then sometimes daughter cells of different size); (ii) by successive or almost spontaneous irregular cell division (multiple fission) into immotile nanocytes, which liberate from the enveloping sheath by an opening (or combined with gelatinization of sheaths). Reproduction by liberated daughter cells of by clusters of ensheated cells.
Ultrastructure:
Taxonomic position, higher hierarchy:
Cyanophyceae, Chroococcales, Xenococcaceae
Notes to taxonomy, misinterpretations: Often
overlooked and misinterpreted.
Ecology, ecophysiology, ecological significance:
Komárek (1992): Ecologically interesting genus: many species grow in different extreme biotopes, in periphyton of thermal and mineral springs, katharobic springs, alkalic or hypersalinic swamps, aerophytic or endolithic in stones in hot or Antarctic deserts, in polar regions, or symbiotic with lichens. Several species have cosmopolitan distribution, but they occur only in their special biotopes.
Physiology and biochemistry:
Distribution, endemism, problematic citations:
Reference strain:
Infrageneric scheme, species concept:
List of species:
Chroococcidiopsis bourrellyana Compère 1997
Chroococcidiopsis codiicola Beliakova 1989
Chroococcidiopsis cubana Komárek et Hindák 1975
Chroococcidiopsis doonensis R.B. Singh 1968
Chroococcidiopsis edaphica Johansen et Flechtner in Flechtner, Johansen et Belnap 2008. Western North American Naturalist 68: 416
Chroococcidiopsis fissurarum (Ercegović) Komárek et Anagnostidis 1995
Chroococcidiopsis indica Desikachary 1959
Chroococcidiopsis kashayi Friedmann 1961
Chroococcidiopsis mysorensis Tiwari 1972
Chroococcidiopsis polansiana Andersen in litt.
Chroococcidiopsis supralittoralis Dor et al. 1991
Chroococcidiopsis thermalis Geitler 1933
Chroococcidiopsis umbratilis Dor et al. 1991
Chroococcidiopsis versatilis Dor et al. 1991

Unclear taxa:
Aphanocapsa roberti-lamyi Frémy 1934 [marine, France]
Chroococcidiopsis sp. sensu Dor & Danin 1996 [desert crusts, Israel]
Chroococcidiopsis sp. sensu Friedmann & al. 1967 [endolithic, hot deserts]
Chroococcidiopsis sp. sensu Broady 1981 [endolithic, Antarctica]
Chroococcidiopsis sp. sensu Wessels & Büdel 1989 [cryptoendolithic, semideserts, S Africa]
Chroococcidiopsis sp. sensu Büdel 1985 [phycobiont from lichens]

Keys:
List of stains:
Drawings:
Komárek (1992)
Application technology:
Literature:

  2.1 taxonomy: Ercegović 1932 (sub Pleurocapsa), Geitler 1933, Geitler & Ruttner 1935, Friedmann 1961, Friedmann 1971, Komárek 1972, Komárek & Hindák 1975, Komárek & al. 1975, Hindák 1978, Waterbury et Stanier 1978, Friedmann 1980,Büdel & Henssen 1983, Friedmann & Ocampo-Friedmann 1984, Büdel 1985, Büdel & Rhiel 1985, Komárek & Anagnostidis 1986, Komárek 1992, Dor 1991, Dor & al. 1991, Komárek & Anagnostidis 1998
  2.2 cytomorphology:
  2.3 16S rRNA sequencing:
  2.4 biology and life cycles:
  2.5 ecology: