Bangiophyceae

Cyanidium (sigh-ann-id-ee-um) is a small coccoid RED alga. Although its colour is exactly the same as that of many prokaryotic blue-green algae, careful scrutiny of the cells shows that the pigments is not distributed throughout the cell, but is within a compartment (filling most of the cell). In nature, these cells form a coating several millimeters thick over the substrate. The cells also have an external organic wall. Most cells are solitary but small groups of dividing cells are also evident. Differential interference contrast. Material from Nymph Creek and Nymph Lake, thermal sites within Yellowstone National Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Cyanidium (sigh-ann-id-ee-um) is a small coccoid RED alga. Although its colour is exactly the same as that of many prokaryotic blue-green algae, careful scrutiny of the cells shows that the pigments is not distributed throughout the cell, but is within a compartment (filling most of the cell). This is a picture of a culture made from isolates from Nymph Creek and Nymph Lake, thermal sites within Yellowstone Park, and is included to illustrate the colour of the pigment arrays. Photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Cyanidium (sigh-ann-id-ee-um) is a small coccoid RED ALGA. Although its colour is exactly the same as that of many prokaryotic blue-green algae, careful scrutiny of the cells shows that the pigments is not distributed throughout the cell, but is within a compartment (filling most of the cell). The cells also have an external organic wall. Differential interference contrast. Material from Nymph Creek and Nymph Lake, thermal sites within Yellowstone National Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Cyanidium (sigh-an-id-ee-um), on the sediment of Nymph Creek, by far the most obvious member of the microbial community, sometimes creating a mat centimetres deep. This genus occurs at temperatures around 45 degrees Centigrade in Nymph Creek - a thermal site within Yellowstone National Park. Photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Cyanidium (sigh-ann-id-ee-um) is a small coccoid RED ALGA. Although its colour is exactly the same as that of many prokaryotic blue-green algae, careful scrutiny of the cells shows that the pigments is not distributed throughout the cell, but is within a compartment (filling most of the cell). In nature, these cells form a coating several millimeters thick over the substrate. The cells also have an external organic wall. Most cells are solitary but small groups of dividing cells occur. Differential interference contrast. Material from Nymph Creek , a thermal site within Yellowstone National Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Cyanidium (sigh-ann-id-ee-um) is a small coccoid RED ALGA. Although its colour is exactly the same as that of many prokaryotic blue-green algae, careful scrutiny of the cells shows that the pigments is not distributed throughout the cell, but is within a compartment (filling most of the cell). This is an aggregate of cells, aggregates being common in nature. Material from Nymph Creek, a thermal site within Yellowstone Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Cyanidium cells are shown at high magnification. The photosynthetic pigments in the cells give the stream give its vivid green color.

Cyanidium cells from Nymph creek

This microbial mat at Nymph Creek is dominated by acid and heat tolerant Cyanidium-like algae. Image by Brett Leigh Dicks.

Cyanidium-like algae collected from Nymph Creek. The bright green chloroplasts fill most of the spherical cells.

Cyanidium isolated from Nymph Creek growing in pure culture.

Porphyridium (paw-r-fie-rid-ee-um) a unicellular red algae with red algal chloroplasts occupying part of a cell which has a bounding cell wall. DIfferential interference contrast.

Porphyridium (paw-r-fie-rid-ee-um) a unicellular red algae with red algal chloroplasts occupying part of a cell which has a bounding cell wall. DIfferential interference contrast.