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Bolidophytes

Bolidomonas

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Containing group: Stramenopiles

Introduction

The class Bolidophyceae includes a single genus Bolidomonas and two species (Bolidomonas pacifica and B. mediterranea) described from marine waters.

The Bolidophyceae was established by Guillou et al. (1999), as a new class of picoplankton isolated from both the equatorial Pacific and the Mediterranean Sea. One genus, Bolidomonas, and two species, Bolidomonas pacifica and B. mediterranea, have been described. Guillou et al. also proposed a subspecies of B. pacifica: B. pacifica var. eleuthra.

Bolidomonas pacifica swims differently than B. mediterranea, and their flagella are oriented differently with respect to one another (Fig. 1). B. pacifica swims in a consistently straight pattern, and the flagella are oriented at a 90° angle with respect to one another. In contrast, B. mediterranea demonstrates frequent changes in swimming direction, and flagella are oriented at a 180° angle with respect to one another.

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Figure 1: The two flagella are oriented differently to one another in Bolidomonas mediterranea and B. pacifica.  © J. Craig Bailey

Characteristics

Relationship of Bolidophytes to other Stramenopiles

Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear 18S rRNA and plastid-encoded rbcL sequences indicate – with robust support – that Bolidomonas spp. are sister to the diatoms (Bacillariophyceae).

Other Names for Bolidomonas

About This Page

Page: Tree of Life Bolidophytes. Bolidomonas. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Tree of Life Web Project. 2010. Bolidophytes. Bolidomonas. Version 28 April 2010 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Bolidomonas/142186/2010.04.28 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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