Prymnesium | |
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Illustration | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
Phylum: | Haptista |
Subphylum: | Haptophytina |
Class: | Prymnesiophyceae |
Order: | Prymnesiales |
Family: | Prymnesiaceae |
Genus: | Prymnesium Massart, 1920 emend. Edvardsen, Eikrem & Probert, 2011[1] |
Prymnesium is a genus of haptophytes, including the species Prymnesium parvum.[2] The genus is a unicellular motile alga. It is ellipsoidal in shape one flagellum is straight and there are two longer ones which enable movement.[3]
The name Latinizes the Greek prymnēsion ‘cable (for mooring)’,[4][5] from prymna ‘stern’, from prymnos ‘hindmost’.[6][self-published source]
Prymnesium was likely first recognized and drawn (although not named as such) on July 1, 1920,[7] and then (seemingly independently) officially named shortly afterwards on July 6, 1920.[8]
The taxonomy of Prymnesiales was revised in 2011. With this revision, ten additional species were added to the genus, namely P. neolepis (previously assigned to Hyalolithus), P. palpebrale, P. polylepis, P. kappa, P. chiton, P. minus (previously assigned to Chrysochromulina), P. neustophilum, P. pienaarii, P. pigrum, and P. simplex (previously assigned to Platychrysis).[1]