Gloeothece

Taxonomy

Order Chroococcales
Family Microcystaceae
Genus Gloeothece

Morphology

Small groups of cells, irregularly distributed throughout large agglomerations; sometimes surrounded by a common mucilage; forming slimy, gelatinous layers upon substrate. Cells, and groups of cells, surrounded by mucilaginous envelopes; usually concentrically lamellated (layered); clearly delimited; colorless or bluish, violet, reddish, or yellow-brown. Cells are widely oval or rarely rod-shaped; <1 μm to 15 μm in length; pale to bright blue-green, olive-green, or violet. Cells do not possess aerotopes. 

Ecology

Mostly subaerial, growing on wet rocks; a few species occur in aquatic habitats (mostly among algae or aquatic plants, in swamps/acidic freshwater). The images to the right are of a gelatinous layer formed on the water's surface, atop submerged aquatic plants in a large freshwater aquarium tank. 

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. 105-107). 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, p. 92). 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