Tetraselmis
| Tetraselmis | |
|---|---|
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| Tetraselmis suecica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Prasinophyceae |
| Order: | Chlorodendrales |
| Family: | Chlorodendraceae |
| Genus: | Tetraselmis |
| Species | |
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Tetraselmis is a genus of phytoplankton. Tetraselmis is a green algal genus within the order Chlorodendrales, and they are characterized by their intense green colored chloroplast, their flagellated cell bodies, the presence of a pyrenoid within the chloroplast, and a scale-produced thecal-wall. Species within this genus are found in both marine and freshwater ecosystems across the globe; their habitat range is mainly limited by water depth due to their photosynthetic nature. Thus, they live in diverse water-environments if enough nutrients and light is available for net photosynthetic activity. Tetraselmis species have proven to be useful for both research and industry. Tetraselmis species have been studied for understanding plankton growth rates, and recently a colonial colony species is being used to gain an understanding of multicellularity evolution. Additionally, many species are currently being examined for their use as biofuels due to their high lipid content.
The genus name was first presented to the scientific community in Germany in 1878 by F. von Stein. The genus Tetraselmis has undergone many taxonomic changes over the years, largely due to more advanced research techniques that have aided scientists in their classification. Many botanists have further contributed to the knowledge surrounding Tetraselmis, and have discovered many species within the genera. Some notable contributors include R.W. Butcher, T. Hori, R.E. Norris, and M. Chihara.
Tetraselmis species are found in both marine and freshwater ecosystems, and they occupy niches as primary producers in benthic and planktonic food webs. They can be found in many global waters, and their main enforcer of habitat range is light availability which restricts cells to the photic zone of the water column. The primary producers of aquatic ecosystems are mostly unicellular photosynthetic plankton, which includes Tetraselmis. Planktonic photoautotrophs are important components of aquatic food webs because they form the first trophic level. Most Tetraselmis species are free-living, however, some species are symbionts within animals. Marine species often populate rapidly and densely, causing plankton blooms in shoreline and bay areas. Tetraselmis has a specifically important genus for studying and understanding plankton growth rate dynamics.
Tetraselmis species vary greatly in cell size and shape. Cells can be round, ovoid, elliptical, flattened, compressed, or a combination of these shapes, in which their side lengths can vary in range from 3.5-25 um. Tetraselmis cells have four flagella of equal length, which emerge from a depression near the apex. In most species, the flagella emerge in pairs and project away from each other. Generally, individual cells travel in a linear fashion for a long period of time, and then rapidly change direction without stopping, in which their flagella generate force for motion through an aqueous environment. See figure 1 for general features of the flagella and cell body of Tetraselmis species.
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Wikipedia