Family: Unicells or colonies of non-fixed number of cells; cell body variable in shape; one or more chloroplasts variable in shape; asexual reproduction by autospore or autocoenobium (Illustrations of The Japanese Fresh-water Algae, 1977).
Genus: Colonies of 4-32 cells; cell body long crescent or spindle in shape, tapered at both ends; cells attached with each other at the center of the body, paralleled or radially arranged; no gelatinous sheath; a chloroplast; no pyrenoids; planktonic (Guide book to the "Photomicrographs of the Freshwater Algae", 1998).

Google Image Search

Cell body relatively thick		Cell body relatively thin
A. falcatus 24 samples 35-63 x 1-3 μm 1998-2006	A. falcatus 24 samples 35-63 x 1-3 μm 1998-2006	A. falcatus 24 samples 35-63 x 1.5-3 μm 1998-2006	A. falcatus 24 samples 35-63 x 1.5-3 μm 1998-2006
....		Daughter cells stacked
Ankistrodesmus sp. cell 30 x 2 μm Nasu Tochigi, 2001	Ankistrodesmus sp. cell μm Iruma River side Tsurugashima Saitama, 2003	A. densus 7 samples 39-56 x 2-3.5 μm 2001-2006	A. densus 7 samples 39-56 x 2-3.5 μm 2001-2006
A. spiralis 41 x 2 μm Sayama Natural p. Saitama, 2001
???
Ankistrodesmus ? or Monoraphidium ? 33-39 x 1.5-3 μm body straight Uruguay, 1999	Ankistrodesmus ? or Monoraphidium ? 44 x 2 μm body straight Ueno Tokyo, 2001	Ankistrodesmus ? or Monoraphidium ? stock Tus-12, axenic 34 x 3 μm body straight Ueno Tokyo, 2001
Ankistrodesmus μm Sanda Hyogo, 2001	Ankistrodesmus or Selenastrum ? μm Sanda Hyogo, 2001

Similar Genus ->> Monoraphidium; Selenastrum;

Please click on species name for more images.

Copyright Protist Information Server