Haematococcus Explained

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.

Further reading

• 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 . 414 - 430 . 12355262 . 10.1007/s00239-002-2338-9 . 4.
• 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.

Notes and References

1. See the NCBI webpage on Haematococcus. Data extracted from the Web site: NCBI taxonomy resources . . 2007-03-19.