Pelagophyceae Explained

Pelagophyceae is a class of heterokont algae. It is the sister group of the Dictyochophyceae.^[1]

All known species are marine. They can be single-celled (coccoid or flagellate), palmelloid or filamentous. Some members (Pelagomonas) belong to picoplankton, and some other (Sarcinochrysis) are macroscopic attached organisms.

The class contains 13 genera, three families and two orders (2017):^[2]

Order Pelagomonadales Andersen & Saunders 1993
- Family Pelagomonadaceae Andersen & Saunders 1993
  - genus Ankylochrysis Billard 1995
  - genus Aureococcus Hargraves & Sieburth 1988
  - genus Chrysophaeum Lewis & Bryan 1941 non Taylor 1951
  - genus Pelagococcus Norris 1977
  - genus Pelagomonas Andersen & Saunders 1993
Order Sarcinochrysidales Gayral & Billard 1977
- Family Chrysocystaceae Melkonian, Yoon & Andersen 2018
  - genus Chrysocystis Lobban, Honda & Chihara 1995
  - genus Chrysoreinhardia Billard 2000
  - genus Sungminbooa Yoon & Andersen 2018
- Family Sarcinochrysidaceae Gayral & Billard 1977
  - genus Andersenia Wetherbee & Waller 2015
  - genus Arachnochrysis Andersen & Han 2018
  - genus Aureoscheda Wynne & Andersen 2014
  - genus Aureoumbra Stockwell et al. 1997
  - genus Chrysonephos Taylor 1952
  - genus Nematochrysopsis Billard 2000
  - genus Pelagospilus Andersen & Graf 2018
  - genus Sarcinochrysis Geitler 1930
  - genus Sargassococcus Andersen & Han 2018

It is expected that molecular studies will add more species to this list.

Notes and References

Bringloe TT, Starko S, Wade RM, Vieira C, Kawai H, De Clerck O, Cock JM, Coelho SM, Destombe C, Valero M, Neiva J, Pearson GA, Faugeron S, Serrão EA, Verbruggen H. 2020. Phylogeny and Evolution of the Brown Algae. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. 39. 4. 281–321. 10.1080/07352689.2020.1787679. free. 2020CRvPS..39..281B .
A Re-investigation of Sarcinochrysis marina (Sarcinochrysidales, Pelagophyceae) from its Type Locality and the Descriptions of Arachnochrysis, Pelagospilus, Sargassococcus and Sungminbooa genera nov. . Han, K. . Graf, L. . Reyes, C. P. . Melkonian, B. . Andersen, R. A. . Yoon, H. S. . Melkonian, M. . 2018 . Protist . 169 . 1 . 79–10 . 10.1016/j.protis.2017.12.004.