Cyanodictyon

Taxonomy

Order Nodosilineales
Family Cymatolegaceae
Genus Cyanodictyon

Morphology

Colonies roughly spherical or irregularly reticulate (net-like), three-dimensional or flat, sometimes elongated; composed of anastomosing (irregularly overlapping; diverging and reconnecting, in a mesh-like network) mucilage strands; later amorphous, with holes. Cells are arranged within the strands, in one or more rows; mucilage fine and colorless, often diffuse; cells later irregularly arranged. Cells roughly spherical to slightly elongated; up to 4.5 μm in length/diameter; no obvious gas vesicles or other prominent inclusions; pale blue-green, gray, or olive-green in color. Cell division perpendicular to long axis of the cell; daughter cells reach original size/shape before next round of division.  

Ecology

Mainly planktic, in oligotrophic to mesotrophic lakes; one species endogloeic in mucilage of Anabaena. 

References

Johansen, J. R., & Komárek, J. (2015). Coccoid Cyanobacteria. In J. D. Wehr, R. G. Sheath, & J. P. Kociolek (Eds.), Freshwater Algae of North America: Ecology and Classification (2nd ed., pp. 91-92). Waltham, MA: Elsevier.

Komárek, J. & Anagnostidis, K. (2008). Cyanoprokaryota-1. Teil/Part 1: Chroococcales. In H. Ettl, G. Gärtner, H. Heynig, & D. Mollenhauer (Eds.), Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa (Vol. 19/1, pp. 57-61). Heidelberg, Germany: Spektrum.

Strunecký, O., Ivanova, A.P., & Mareš, J. (2023). An updated classification of cyanobacterial orders and families based on phylogenomic and polyphasic analysis. Journal of Phycology, 59: 12-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13304