Fottea X:X | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2025.001

Revisiting Chrysococcus (Chrysophyceae): new phylogenetic evidence and evolutionary implications

Veronica Malavasi ORCID...1, 2*, Martin Pusztai ORCID...1, 3, 4, Katarzyna Jankowska ORCID...5, Bo¿ena Zakry¶ ORCID...5*, Pavel ©kaloud ORCID...1
1 Department of Botany, Charles University, Benátská 2, Praha 2, CZ-12800, Czech Republic; *Corresponding author e-mail: veronica.malavasi80@gmail.com
2 Centre of "Botanical Garden", University of Padua, Via Orto Botanico 15, Padua, 35123, Italy
3 Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, Liberec, CZ-46117, Czech Republic
4 Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, Liberec, CZ-46117, Czech Republic
5 University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, ul. ¬wirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland; *Corresponding author e-mail: b.b.zakrys@uw.edu.pl

Loricate golden algae (Chrysophyceae) are photosynthetic microorganisms characterized by a lorica, a rigid or semi-rigid protective casing made of organic material, sometimes reinforced with silica or iron. The lorica's diverse shapes and intricate ornamentation serve as both adaptive strategies and taxonomic markers. Here, we identified, for the first time, the molecular phylogenetic position of a loricate genus Chrysococcus, based on genetic investigations of two freshwater populations in Poland. The genus was resolved to form a well-supported clade with Chrysosaccus within the order Chrysosaccales. Accordingly, this order represents one of the morphologically most diverse lineages of Chrysophyceae, including naked flagellates, coccoid organisms, amoebae and flagellates dwelling in loricae, and mucilage-secreting cells. The phylogenetic resolution of Chrysococcus provides key evidence for understanding the evolutionary transitions within Chrysophyceae, highlighting the complex relationships between loricate and non-loricate taxa.

Keywords: Chrysophyceae, Chrysosaccales, evolutionary relationships, freshwater plankton, loricate golden algae

Received: November 27, 2024; Revised: February 1, 2025; Accepted: February 18, 2025; Prepublished online: September 3, 2025 

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