Haematococcus is a genus of algae in the family Haematococcaceae. Members of this group are a common cause of the pink color found in birdbaths.[1] One of the most notable species of Haematococcus is H. pluvialis, which is used in cosmetic products due to its production of astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant carotenoid, under stress conditions.
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![Drawing of Haematococcus pluvialis[2]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Haematococcus_pluvialis.jpg/257px-Haematococcus_pluvialis.jpg)
Drawing of Haematococcus pluvialis[2] -
Flagellate stage -
When stressed, this green microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis, degrades chlorophylls and accumulates a strong red antioxidant, the carotenoid astaxanthin
![Drawing of Haematococcus pluvialis[2]](/https/en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Haematococcus_pluvialis.jpg)
| Haematococcus | |
|---|---|
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| Two individuals of an unidentified Haematococcus species | |
Scientific classification 
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| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Chlorophyceae |
| Order: | Chlamydomonadales |
| Family: | Haematococcaceae |
| Genus: | Haematococcus Wille in Warming, 1884 |
| Species | |
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Haematococcus capensis | |
References
edit- ^ See the NCBI webpage on Haematococcus. Data extracted from the "NCBI taxonomy resources". National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ Frank Shipley Collins. The Green Algae of North America, Volume II of Tufts College Studies, Published by Tufts College, 1909, pp 79-480. From Plate II.
Further reading
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haematococcus.
- Nozaki H, Onishi K, Morita E (2002). "Differences in pyrenoid morphology are correlated with differences in the rbcL genes of members of the Chloromonas lineage (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae)". J Mol Evol. 55 (4): 414–430. doi:10.1007/s00239-002-2338-9. PMID 12355262.
- Gutman, J., Zarka, A and Boussiba, S. 2009. The host-range of Paraphysoderma sedebokerensis, a chytrid that infects Haematococcus pluvialis. Eur. J. Phycol. 44: 509 - 514.
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