How many species of algae are there? A reprise. Four kingdoms, 14 phyla, 63 classes and still growing

Abstract

To date (1 November 2023), the online database AlgaeBase has documented 50,589 species of living algae and 10,556 fossil species here referred to four kingdoms (Eubacteria, Chromista, Plantae, and Protozoa), 14 phyla, and 63 classes. The algae are the third most speciose grouping of plant‐like after the flowering plants (≈382,000 species) and fungi (≈170,000 species, including lichens) but are the least well defined of all the botanical groupings. Priority is given to phyla and class names that are familiar to phycologists and that are nomenclaturally valid. The most species‐rich phylum is the Heterokontophyta to which 18 classes are referred with 21,052 living species and which is dominated by the diatoms in three classes with 18,673 species (16,427 living; 2239 fossil). The next most species‐rich phyla are the red algae (7276 living), the green algae (6851 living), the blue‐green algae (Cyanobacteria, 5723 living), the charophytes (4950 living, including the Charophyceae, 511 species living, and the Zygnematophyceae, 4335 living species), Dinoflagellata (2956 living, including the Dinophyceae, 2828 extant), and haptophytes (Haptophyta 1722 species, 517 living).

Metabarcoding reveals a high diversity and complex eukaryotic microalgal community in coastal waters of the northern Beibu Gulf, China

“…Those algal OTUs, unannotated against SILVA, were further searched against the NCBI database ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ , searched in September 2023) using BLAST with a percent identity cutoff 97% and an e-value cutoff close to zero (≤10 −30 ). The classification of algae was according to the up-to-date system suggested by Guiry (2024) and the AlgaeBase ( Guiry and Guiry, 2024 ). HAB and/or bloom species were confirmed in the online version of the IOC-UNESCO Taxonomic Reference List of Harmful Micro Algae ( Lundholm et al, 2009 ) or had been reported as a HAB or bloom species in previous studies.…”

Post Cryopreservation Growth Kinetic and Photosynthetic Assessment of an Acid Tolerant Strain of <i>Stichococcus bacillaris</i>

“…The term microalgae is traditionally used to describe photosynthetic eukaryotic microorganisms, including cyanobacteria [1] [2]. These microorganisms represent a significant biodiversity resource in terms of species number, morphology, biochemical pathways, but also in terms of ecological roles and applications [3]. All microalgae are autotrophs that photosynthesize through their pigments using them as light-harvesting molecules.…”

Biodiversity and the Community Structure of Chromista Cavalier-Smith, 1981 in Nyong and Kienke River Mouths (South-Cameroon)

“…According to the AlgaeBase, 50,589 species of living algae and 10,556 fossil species are documented, referred to four kingdoms (Eubacteria Woese & Fox, 1977; Chromista Cavalier-Smith, 1981; Plantae Haeckel, 1866; and Protozoa Goldfuss, 1818), 14 phyla, and 63 classes [1]. Algae are the third most speciose grouping of plant-like after the flowering plants (≈382,000 species) and fungi (≈170,000 species, including lichens) [1].…”

“…According to the AlgaeBase, 50,589 species of living algae and 10,556 fossil species are documented, referred to four kingdoms (Eubacteria Woese & Fox, 1977; Chromista Cavalier-Smith, 1981; Plantae Haeckel, 1866; and Protozoa Goldfuss, 1818), 14 phyla, and 63 classes [1]. Algae are the third most speciose grouping of plant-like after the flowering plants (≈382,000 species) and fungi (≈170,000 species, including lichens) [1]. The most species-rich phylum is the golden and brown algae Heterokontophyta Moestrup, 1992 with 18 classes and 21,052 living species dominated by the diatoms class Bacillariophyceae Dangeard, 1933 with 18,673 species (16,427 living species and 2,239 fossil) [1].…”

“…The most species-rich phylum is the golden and brown algae Heterokontophyta Moestrup, 1992 with 18 classes and 21,052 living species dominated by the diatoms class Bacillariophyceae Dangeard, 1933 with 18,673 species (16,427 living species and 2,239 fossil) [1]. The next most species-rich phyla are the red algae Rhodophyta Wettst., 1901 (7,276 living species), the oxygenic photosynthetic green algae (6,851 living species), the blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria Stanier, 1973 or Cyanobacteriota Oren et al 2022: 5,723 living species), the charophytes (4,950 living species, including Charophyceae with 511 living species, and Zygnematophyceae with 4,335 living species), Dinoflagellata (2956 living species, including Dinophyceae, 2,828 species), and haptophytes (Haptophyta: 1,722 species with 517 living species) [1]. Chromista is distinguished from Plantae and other phytoplankton because of its more complex chloroplast-associated membrane topology and rigid tubular multipartite ciliary"s hairs [2].…”