''Pectodictyon'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/ Streptophyta. The land plants ( Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alg ...

in the family Sphaerodictyaceae. It is found free-floating in

freshwater habitat Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Freshwater habitats can be ...

s as

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a cr ...

. ''Pectodictyon'' consists of colonies of cells which are tetrahedral or cubic in shape. Each colony has four or eight cells in the corners, covered with

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

and connected to each other by mucilaginous threads. These colonies may themselves be connected to other colonies to form compound colonies. The cells themselves are spherical or tetrahedral, with parietal

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it ...

s with

pyrenoid Pyrenoids are sub-cellular micro-compartments found in chloroplasts of many algae,Giordano, M., Beardall, J., & Raven, J. A. (2005). CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution. Annu. Rev. Plant Bio ...

s. Asexual reproduction occurs by the formation of autospores, which arrange themselves into the shape of the colony. Sexual reproduction or flagellated life stages have not been observed in this genus. Two species are known: * '' Pectodictyon cubicum'' * '' Pectodictyon pyramidale'' They can be identified by the shape of the shapes of the cells and colonies.

References

Chlamydomonadales genera Chlamydomonadales {{Chlorophyceae-stub