''Chloromonas'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

green algae The green algae (: green alga) are a group of chlorophyll-containing autotrophic eukaryotes consisting of the phylum Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister group that contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants ...

in the family

Chlamydomonadaceae Chlamydomonadaceae is a family of algae within the order Chlamydomonadales. Traditionally, it has been defined as containing single-celled flagellates with a cell wall. Cells of the Chlamydomonadaceae are motile and have one, two, or four flag ...

. It is closely related to the model green algae, ''

Chlamydomonas ''Chlamydomonas'' ( ) is a genus of green algae consisting of about 150 species of unicellular organism, unicellular flagellates, found in stagnant water and on damp soil, in freshwater, seawater, and even in snow as "snow algae". ''Chlamydom ...

'', and traditionally has been distinguished mainly through the absence of a

pyrenoid Pyrenoids are sub-cellular phase-separated micro-compartments found in chloroplasts of many algae,Giordano, M., Beardall, J., & Raven, J. A. (2005). CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution. ''An ...

. Species of ''Chloromonas'' occupy a variety of habitats, including soil, temporary pools of

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salt (chemistry), salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include ...

and eutrophic lakes. A number of species are adapted to living on snow, making them snow algae. The most northerly location at which this algae has been observed is Lake Bienville, Quebec, 55°N.

Description

''Chloromonas'' is a unicellular organism with cells that are ranging from spherical, ovoid, cylindrical, or spindle-shaped. There are two equal

flagella A flagellum (; : flagella) (Latin for 'whip' or 'scourge') is a hair-like appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, from fungal spores ( zoospores), and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many pr ...

on the anterior end of the cell, with or without a papilla. As single large

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

fills the cell, and may be cup-shaped and variously lobed. Chloroplasts lack

s. An eyespot is present in most species. There is a single nucleus typically embedded in the center of the cell. Reproduction in ''Chloromonas'' occurs asexually and sexually. Asexual reproduction is by cell division, forming two or four

zoospore A zoospore is a motile asexual spore that uses a flagellum for locomotion in aqueous or moist environments. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some protists, bacteria, and fungi to propagate themselves. Certain zoospores are ...

s. Sexual reproduction in the genus is diverse and can be isogamous, anisogamous, or oogamous.

Taxonomy

Traditionally, the genus ''Chloromonas'' has been defined morphologically as being a pyrenoid-less version of ''Chlamydomonas''. Phylogenetically, the pyrenoid-less species are all found in a single

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

, but there are also pyrenoid-bearing species within this clade, making the genus non-monophyletic. In 2001, as a first step towards revising the genus, Thomas Pröschold and colleagues emended the

circumscription Circumscription may refer to: * Circumscribed circle * Circumscription (logic) *Circumscription (taxonomy) * Circumscription theory, a theory about the origins of the political state in the history of human evolution proposed by the American anthr ...

of ''Chloromonas'' to include all species of this clade. However, this clade also includes species of '' Gloeomonas'', and the name ''Gloeomonas'' has priority over ''Chloromonas''.

Species

* '' C. radiata'' * '' C. asteroidea'' * '' C. macrostellata'' * '' C. reticulata'' * '' C. oogama'' * '' C. perforata'' * '' C. rosae'' * '' C. serbinowi'' * '' C. sp. ANT3'' * '' C. sp. ANT1'' * '' C. insignis'' * '' C. augustae'' * '' C. palmelloides'' * '' C. playfairii'' * '' C. actinochloris'' * '' C. carrizoensis'' * '' C. rubrifilum'' * '' C. sp. D-CU581C'' * '' C. brevispina'' * '' C. nivalis'' * '' C. paraserbinowii'' * '' C. pichinchae'' * '' C. subdivisa'' * '' C. variabilis'' * '' C. rostafinskii'' * '' C. cf. alpina 032-99'' * '' C. cf. platystigma 020-99'' * '' C. sp. 047-99'' * '' C. cf. palatina 025-99'' * '' C. chenangoensis'' * '' C. sp. CU722a''

References

Chlamydomonadales genera Chlamydomonadaceae Snow algae {{Chlorophyceae-stub