Algal factsheet: Phacus (Euglenidae)
Diagnostic features
Cell wall composed of a proteinaceous pellicle (as in Euglena), but too rigid to flex. Cells generally rounded and flattened (twisted in one species), with a pointed tail at one end and a flagellum at the other, emerging from a reservoir. There is a prominent red eyespot adjacent to the reservoir, and usually a large ring of paramylon in the cell centre. The cell surface may be ridged. Chloroplasts are green and numerous.
Typical habitats
Abundant in nutrient-rich ponds, including sewage pondsClassification
Kingdom | Protozoa |
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Phylum | Euglenozoa |
Class | Euglenoidea |
Order | Euglenida |
Family | Euglenidae |
Common name | Euglenoids |