Algae in all colors of the rainbow

Algae appear in all colors of the rainbow; green, yellow, blue-green, red and so on. When it comes to freshwater algae, red is rare. Fortunately, the red algae, or Rhodophyta, are well represented by a very common genus, Batrachospermum, which includes quite a number of species.

Batrachospermum, is a genus of freshwater red algae ranging in colour from violet to blue-green. The long, branched, threadlike filaments bear dense whorls of branchlets, resembling beads on a string. Spores are formed in clusters around the base of the carpogonium (female sex organ) after fertilization. The genus is found in streams and in pools in sphagnum bogs. From shore, the Batrachospermum thallus looks almost black.