Cystoseira is a genus of brown algae in the order Fucales.
Description As presently defined, Cystoseira comprises fucoids characterised by antherozoids without stigmata, few antheridial branches, trichothallic hairs in conceptacles, large ovoid oospheres, and eggs that remain attached to the surface of the receptacles through mucilaginous stalks until after fertilization.
Distribution Cystoseira as presently defined occurs only in the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic. Species from the Indian and Pacific oceans are presently included in different genera.
Ecology Cystoseira are important habitat-forming species in coastal waters of the Mediterranean and Northeast Atlantic. They require good water quality, and can be used as bioindicators for pollution levels.
Species Cystoseira was recently found to include multiple unrelated lineages. As a result, most species were moved to the genera Stephanocystis, Polycladia, Sirophysalis, Gongolaria and Ericaria. As of January 2024, AlgaeBase lists the following non-fossil species as accepted:
Cystoseira aurantia Kützing, 1843 Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin, 1975 Cystoseira crinitophylla Ercegovic, 1952 Cystoseira flaccida Kützing 1843 Cystoseira foeniculacea (Linnaeus) Greville, 1830 Cystoseira humilis Schousboe ex Kützing, 1860 Cystoseira hypocarpa Kützing 1854 Cystoseira melanothrix (Kützing) Piccone, 1884 Cystoseira micheleae Verlaque, Blanfuné, Boudouresque, Thibaut & Sellam, 2017 Cystoseira pelagosae Ercegovic, 1952 Cystoseira pustulata (Ercegovic) Neiva & Serrão, 2022 Cystoseira pycnoclada Schiffner ex Gerloff & Nizamuddin, 1976 Cystoseira schiffneri G.Hamel, 1939 Cystoseira selaginoides Naccari 1828 Cystoseira spicata Ercegovic 1952 Cystoseira spicigera C.Agardh 1820 Cystoseira thysigera Postels & Ruprecht 1840 Cystoseira tophosa Filarszky 1926 Cystoseira wildpretii Nizamuddin 1995
Many of these species are poorly studied and require validation.
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