Concept information
Preferred term
red algae
Definition
- Red algae, or Rhodophyta (from Ancient Greek (rhódon) 'rose', and (phutón) 'plant'), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta comprises one of the largest phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 currently recognized species with taxonomic revisions ongoing. The majority of species (6,793) are found in the Florideophyceae (class), and mostly consist of multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds. Red algae are abundant in marine habitats but relatively rare in freshwaters. Approximately 5% of red algae species occur in freshwater environments, with greater concentrations found in warmer areas. Except for two coastal cave dwelling species in the asexual class Cyanidiophyceae, there are no terrestrial species, which may be due to an evolutionary bottleneck in which the last common ancestor lost about 25% of its core genes and much of its evolutionary plasticity. (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_algae)
Broader concept
Entry terms
- Rhodophyta
In other languages
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French
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Rhodophyta
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Rhodophyte
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-K1VX4J1X-S
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