''Cystoseira'' 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 ...

brown alga Brown algae (: alga) are a large group of multicellular algae comprising the class Phaeophyceae. They include many seaweeds located in colder waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and polar reg ...

e in the order

Fucales The Fucales (fucoids) are an order in the brown algae (class Phaeophyceae). The list of families in the Fucales, as well as additional taxonomic information on algae, is publicly accessible at Algaebase. The class Phaeophyceae is included wit ...

Description

As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without

stigmata Stigmata (, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion Five Holy Wounds, wounds of Jesus in Christian ...

, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, large ovoid

oospheres The egg cell or ovum (: ova) is the female reproductive cell, or gamete, in most anisogamous organisms (organisms that reproduce sexually with a larger, female gamete and a smaller, male one). The term is used when the female gamete is not capa ...

, and eggs that remain attached to the surface of the receptacles through

mucilaginous Mucilage is a thick gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion, with the direction of their movement always opposite to that of the secretion of ...

stalks until after

fertilization Fertilisation or fertilization (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences), also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give ...

Distribution

''Cystoseira'' as presently defined occurs only in the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic. Species from the Indian and Pacific oceans are presently included in different genera.

Ecology

''Cystoseira'' are important habitat-forming species in coastal waters of the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic. They require good water quality, and can be used as

bioindicators A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. The most common indicator species are animals. For example, copepods and other sma ...

for pollution levels.

Species

''Cystoseira'' was recently found to include multiple unrelated lineages. As a result, most species were moved to the genera '' Stephanocystis'', '' Polycladia'', '' Sirophysalis'', '' Gongolaria'' and '' Ericaria''. As of January 2024, AlgaeBase lists the following non-fossil species as accepted: *''

Cystoseira aurantia ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Kützing, 1843 *''

Cystoseira compressa ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin, 1975 *''

Cystoseira crinitophylla ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Ercegovic, 1952 *''

Cystoseira flaccida ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Kützing 1843 *''

Cystoseira foeniculacea ''Cystoseira foeniculacea'' is a species of brown alga in the genus ''Cystoseira''. Description ''Cystoseira foeniculacea'' forms tufts up to long, attached to the substrate with a broad disc-shaped holdfast. It has many cryptostomata, and con ...

'' (Linnaeus) Greville, 1830 *''

Cystoseira humilis ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Schousboe ex Kützing, 1860 *''

Cystoseira hypocarpa ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Kützing 1854 *''

Cystoseira melanothrix ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' (Kützing) Piccone, 1884 *''

Cystoseira micheleae ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Verlaque, Blanfuné, Boudouresque, Thibaut & Sellam, 2017 *''

Cystoseira pelagosae ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Ercegovic, 1952 *''

Cystoseira pustulata ''Cystoseira pustulata'' is a species of brown alga in the genus ''Cystoseira''. Distribution ''Cystoseira pustulata'' occurs in the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic (Azores, Canary Islands). Records of ''Cystoseira humilis'' in the Mediterr ...

'' (Ercegovic) Neiva & Serrão, 2022 *''

Cystoseira pycnoclada ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Schiffner ex Gerloff & Nizamuddin, 1976 *''

Cystoseira schiffneri ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' G.Hamel, 1939 *''

Cystoseira selaginoides ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, la ...

'' Naccari 1828 *''

Cystoseira spicata ''Cystoseira'' is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales. Description As presently defined, ''Cystoseira'' comprises fucoids characterised by Antheridium, antherozoids without stigmata, few Antheridium, antheridial branches, trichothallic h ...

'' Ercegovic 1952 *'' Cystoseira spicigera'' C.Agardh 1820 *'' Cystoseira thysigera'' Postels & Ruprecht 1840 *'' Cystoseira tophosa'' Filarszky 1926 *'' Cystoseira wildpretii'' Nizamuddin 1995 Many of these species are poorly studied and require validation.

References

{{Authority control Fucales Fucales genera Taxa named by Jacob Georg Agardh