''Gloeocapsa'' (from the Greek ''gloia'' (gelatinous) and the Latin ''capsa'' (case)) is a genus of
cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...
. The cells secrete individual gelatinous sheaths which can often be seen as sheaths around recently divided cells within outer sheaths. Recently divided cell pairs often appear to be only one cell since the new cells cohere temporarily. They are also known as glow caps, a term derived from the yellowish hue given off by the cap.
Occurrence
Some species of this genus are
halophile
A halophile (from the Greek word for 'salt-loving') is an extremophile that thrives in high salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more ...
s and hence found in
hypersaline lake
A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride, brines, and other salts, with saline levels surpassing those of ocean water (3.5%, i.e. ).
Specific microbial species can thrive i ...
s and other high salinity environments. An example of such occurrence of the genus is in the
Makgadikgadi Pans
The Makgadikgadi Pan (Tswana pronunciation ), a salt pan situated in the middle of the dry savanna of north-eastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormous Lake Makgadik ...
of
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
. ''
Gloeocapsa magma'' is noted for colonising roof shingles in the United States and Canada.
Fossilized Gloeocapsa have been dated from as early as 1.5 billion years ago, found in the Ural mountains in Russia.
References
Gloeocapsa Bacteria plus more Bacteria: ''Gloeocapsa'' (2008)*C. Michael Hogan (2008
''Makgadikgadi'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham
Line notes
Chroococcales
Cyanobacteria genera
{{cyanobacteria-stub