''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 ...
of
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, 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''
(Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin, 1975
*''
Cystoseira crinitophylla''
Ercegovic, 1952
*''
Cystoseira flaccida''
Kützing 1843
*''
Cystoseira foeniculacea''
(Linnaeus) Greville, 1830
*''
Cystoseira humilis''
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''
(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