Lyngbya

Lyngbya is a genus of cyanobacteria, unicellular autotrophs that form the basis of the oceanic food chain.

As a result of recent genetic analyses, several new genera were erected from this genus: e.g., Moorea,<ref name="EngeneRottacker2011">Template:Cite journal</ref> Limnoraphis,<ref name="KomarekZapomelova2013">Template:Cite journal</ref> Okeania,<ref name="EngenePaul2013">Template:Cite journal</ref> Microseira,<ref name="McGregorSendall2015">Template:Cite journal</ref> and Dapis.<ref name="EngeneTronholm2018">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Lyngbya species form long, unbranching filaments inside a rigid mucilaginous sheath. Sheaths may form tangles or mats, intermixed with other phytoplankton species. They reproduce asexually. Their filaments break apart and each cell forms a new filament.<ref>Lyngbya, Cyanobacteria, ALGAL-ED, Freshwater Ecology Laboratory, Connecticut College Template:Webarchive</ref> The mats grow around atolls, salt marshes, or fresh water.<ref name="Turner">Template:Cite book</ref>

Some Lyngbya species cause the human skin irritation called seaweed dermatitis.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Some Lyngbya species can also temporarily monopolize aquatic ecosystems when they form dense, floating mats in the water.

Ingestion of Lyngbya is potentially lethal.<ref name="Turner"/> Most commonly, poisoning is caused by eating fish which have fed on Lyngbya or which have fed on other fish which have consumed Lyngbya.<ref name="Turner"/> This is called "ciguatera-like" poisoning.<ref name="Turner"/>

See also

• Lyngbyastatins
• Lyngbyatoxin-a

External links

• Lyngbya Agardh 1824. Protist Information Server.
• Lyngbya species. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. University of Florida IFAS.
• Template:AlgaeBase genus

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