Algae And Protists Codexery

Brown algae

Multicellular seaweeds of temperate and polar marine waters.

Last updated

The class Phaeophyceae consists of multicellular, photoautotrophic organisms that are part of the SAR supergroup.[1] These organisms are predominantly found in colder Northern Hemisphere waters and dominate temperate and polar seaweed communities.[1] The global count of brown algal species falls between 1,500 and 2,000.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. CladeEukaryota
  2. CladeSar<!-- Do not change Sar to SAR. The consensus was to use Sar in the taxonomy template. -->
  3. CladeStramenopiles
  4. ClassPhaeophyceae

Named by Kjellman, 1891

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Brown algae (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Classification
Class Phaeophyceae, within Stramenopiles (SAR supergroup)
Key pigment
fucoxanthin
Habitat
Marine, especially colder waters of the Northern Hemisphere
Closest relative
Schizocladia isciensis

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

Brown algae belong to the Stramenopiles, a clade within the SAR supergroup, and are not closely related to red algae, green algae, or green plants.[3] Four membranes encircle their chloroplasts, indicating these organelles were obtained secondarily through symbiosis with a red or green alga.[3] Fucoxanthin, a pigment present in most brown algae, produces their characteristic greenish-brown coloration.[3] Based on genetic analyses, Schizocladia isciensis is the closest relative of brown algae, with yellow-green algae being the next most closely related group.[3]

The tiniest brown algae appear as small, feathery clusters of filamentous cells measuring just a few centimeters in length.[4] Macrocystis pyrifera, the giant kelp, reaches lengths exceeding 150 feet, making it the largest alga.[5] Macrocystis fronds can increase in length by up to 50 cm daily.[6]

What the cited sources add

According to the 1989 publication "Kelp Forests", some brown algae possess a single blade, whereas others have multiple separate blades.[4][7] The 1987 work "Morphology of plants and fungi" states that every brown alga is multicellular; no species exists as single cells or cell colonies.[8][9] That same source explains that brown algae display colors from olive green to various brown shades, with the exact hue depending on fucoxanthin concentration.[8][9] The same "Phycology" source notes that brown algae occupy diverse marine habitats, including the tidal splash zone, rock pools, and the intertidal zone.[10][11]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cock, "Brown algae", Current Biology, 9 August 2011, p. R573–R575 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hoek, "Algae: an introduction to phycology", Cambridge University Press, 1995, p. 166 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Kawai, "A New Filamentous Marine Chromophyte Belonging to a New Class, Schizocladiophyceae", Protist, July 2003, p. 211–228 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Connor, "Kelp Forests", Monterey Bay Aquarium, 1989 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dittmer, "Phylogeny and Form in the Plant Kingdom", D. Van Nostrand Company, 1964, p. 115–137; Abbott, "Marine Algae of California", Stanford University Press, 1976; Cribb, "Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) Ag. in Tasmanian waters", Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1953, p. 1–34 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Connor, "Kelp Forests", Monterey Bay Aquarium, 1989; Round, "The Ecology of Algae", Cambridge University Press, 1981, p. 103 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Open Library record, ISBN 9781878244017 ("Kelp forests"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bold, "Morphology of Plants and Fungi", Harper & Row Publishers, 1987, p. 112–131, 174–186 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Open Library record, ISBN 9780060408398 ("Morphology of plants and fungi"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Brown algae" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dittami, "Transitions between marine and freshwater environments provide new clues about the origins of multicellular plants and algae", J Phycol, 2017, p. 731–745; Lee, "Phycology", Cambridge University Press, 2008 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Open Library record, ISBN 9780521638838 ("Phycology"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Brown algae (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

More in Algae And Protists

ChoanoflagellateChromalveolataCiliateCryptomonadDiatomDinoflagellateEuglenidEuglenozoaFlagellateForaminiferaGlaucophyteGolden algae

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →