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Concept
Red algae
Summary
Red algae, or Rhodophyta (roʊˈdɒfᵻtə, ˌroʊdəˈfaɪtə; ), 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.
The red algae form a distinct group characterized by having eukaryotic cells without flagella and centrioles, chloroplasts that lack external endoplasmic reticulum and contain unstacked (stroma) thylakoids, and use phycobiliproteins as accessory pigments, which give them their red color. But despite their name, red algae can vary greatly in color from bright green, soft pink, resembling brown algae, to shades of red and purple, and may be almost black at greater depths. Unlike green algae, red algae store sugars outside the chloroplasts as floridean starch, a type of starch that consists of highly branched amylopectin without amylose, as food reserves outside their plastids. Most red algae are also multicellular, macroscopic, marine, and reproduce sexually. The life history of red algae is typically an alternation of generations that may have three generations rather than two.
The coralline algae, which secrete calcium carbonate and play a major role in building coral reefs, belong here. Red algae such as Palmaria palmata (dulse) and Porphyra species (laver/nori/gim) are a traditional part of European and Asian cuisines and are used to make other products such as agar, carrageenans and other food additives.
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