Cryptomonas | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Phylum: | Cryptista |
Class: | Cryptophyceae |
Order: | Cryptomonadales |
Family: | Cryptomonadaceae |
Genus: | Cryptomonas Ehrenberg, 1831 |
Type species | |
Cryptomonas ovata Ehrenberg 1831
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Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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Cryptomonas is the name-giving genus of the Cryptomonads established by German biologist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1831.[1] The algae are common in freshwater habitats and brackish water worldwide and often form blooms in greater depths of lakes.[2] The cells are usually brownish or greenish in color and are characteristic of having a slit-like furrow at the anterior.[2] They are not known to produce any toxins. They are used to feed small zooplankton, which is the food source for small fish in fish farms.[2] Many species of Cryptomonas can only be identified by DNA sequencing.[3][4] Cryptomonas can be found in several marine ecosystems in Australia and South Korea.[2][5]