In 1988 Bruce Parker conceived a grand, one might say grandiose,
project: the encyclopaedia of algal genera. Bruce drew up a list of
co-editors and contributors and secured the sponsorship of the
Phycological Society of America.
Unfortunately, the project ran into difficulties and was finally
abandoned in 1999. The manuscripts, in various states of completion,
were handed over to the Phycological Society of America, which, for
some reason, did not find itself able to continue the project and
bring it to publication.
The part dealing with the chrysophyte, however, was almost complete
and newly revised, and so that it should not be wasted it is now
published as a separate chrysophyte encyclopaedia in the series
Bibliotheca Phycologica.
Jorgen Kristiansen and Hans Preisig have edited the volume, with
contributions by C. Billard, B. Booth, J. Christiansen, O. Moestrup
and J. Throndsen. Jorgen Kristiansen of Copenhagen is well-known for
his work on Chrysophyceae (for instance, he was co-editor of
Chrysophyte Algae: Ecology, Phylogeny and Development1). Hans Preisig
of Zurich is known for his studies of high mountain lakes. Both are
skilled and respected phycologists and bring to this book a wealth of
practical knowledge.
The Chrysophyceae were first described (though not under that name)
over 200 years ago. It was in 1914 that Pascher2 erected them into a
class, and lumpedthe Chrysophyceae, the Diatomophyceae and the
Xanthophyceae in the division Chrysophyta. The Chrysophyceae, the
golden brown algae, were last subject to detailed monographs in 1981
(Bourrelly3) and 1985 (Starmach4). This monograph far, far more than
a mere revision. The advent of molecular biology has led to a
revolution on the classification of this difficult group, in the same
way the spread of electron microscopy made possible the major
revisions of, for example, Hibberd5 and Silva6.
The authors have removed from the Chrysophyceae a number of colourless
flagellates (such as the choanoflagellates that were included as the
separate subclass, Craspedomonadophycidae) These, they say, "have been
shown to be related to different protistan lineages with no close
relationships to heterokonts." What a shame they removed the
choanoflagellates just as they hit the headlines for the first time
(see page A1).
In the introduction the authors remark:
"When we speak of chrysophytes in this book, this name also includes
the Dictyophyceae, Pelagophyceae, Phaeothemniophyceae and
'Bicosoecophycea' (i.e. those classes of heterokonts of which many
members have previously been included in the Chrysophyceae). Also
included are genera of uncertain affinity, which probably do not
belong to the Chrysophyceae [sensu stricto], but which have often been
assigned to this class . . Furthermore, all genera are listed which
have also been assigned to the Chrysophyceae, but which are now
considered to be synonyms of other genera treated in this book . .
This monograph includes information on more than 80 genera - almost 50
of them marine - which were not treated by the previous studies of
Bourrelly3 and Starmach4.
In this work 201 genera of chrysophytes currently known (plus their
many synonyms) are surveyed. This figure includes 110 genera of
Chrysophyceae sensu stricto and 58 additional genera, many of which
have been formerly put in the Chrysophyceae, but are now placed in
other classes of the Chromophyta/Heterokonta; such as Synurophyceae,
Dictyochophyceae, Pelagophyceae, Phaeothamniophyceae and
"Bicosoecophyceae". Also treated are 33 insufficiently known genera of
uncertain affinity, which probably do not belong to the Chrysophyceae
sensu stricto, but which have often been assigned to it (for example,
Aurosphaeraceae, Chrysomeridales and Parmales).
The descriptions are clear and concise, giving author and reference
for theoriginal description, taxonomic position, type species, major
synonyms, number of species and key references. The illustrations are
well-chosen and properly reproduced.
Being a bit of an algal twitcher, one of the pleasures in a monograph
like this is the holiday planning. Adriamonas peritocrescens is found
in the top layer of calcerous soil from a pasture in
Holland. Chrysonephele palustris has only been found in an ephemeral
swamp in Tasmania, Pseudosyncrypta volvox only in a pond near
St. Petersburg. Polluted ponds in the Czech Republic have a large
number of endemic species and Mycochrysis oligothiophila is known only
from hydrogen sulphide-rich waters in Latvia. Best, surely, is
Entodesmis scenedesmoides found growing on human skeletons in
Papua-New Guinea (and what is the purpose of your visit sir?)
This is an excellent work, much needed. It has the high production
values one expects from volumes in the Bibliotheca Phycologica (of
which it forms the 110th part; what it must be to possess the whole
series!). The format is very close to the seaweed keys produced by the
Natural History Museum. It should be said that it is more reasonably
priced, even though it comes from a commercial publisher rather than a
registered charity with all the tax advantages that entails.
References:
1. Sandgren, C. D., Smol, J. P., Kristiansen, J. (Eds)(1995) Chrysophyte
Algae: Ecology, Phylogeny and Development
2. Pascher, A. (1914) ?ber Flagellaten und Algen Ber. Deutsch. Bot.
Ges. 32 pp. 136-160
3. Bourrelly, P. (1981) Les algues d'eau douce: II Algues jaunes et
brunes (2nd. Ed.) N. Boub?e et Cie, Paris
4. Starmach, K. (1985) Chrysophyceae und Haptophyceae in: Ettl, H.,
Gerloff, J., Heynig, H. and Mollenhauer, D. (Eds.) Susswassserflora
von Mitteleuropa, Vol. I G. Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart
5. Hibberd, D. J. (1976) The ultrastructure and taxonomy of the
Chrysophyceae and Pyrmnesiophyceae (Haptophyceae): a survey with some
new observations on the ultrastructure of the Chrysophyceae
Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 72 pp. 55-80
6. Silva, P. C. (1980) names of classes and families of living algae
Regnum Vegetabile 103 pp. 1-156
Mark Burgess
Microscopy and Imaging News February 2002
