Blue-green algae associated with ascidians of the Great Barrier Reef

摘要: IN the rich biota of reef communities, one best known symbiotic relationships is that dinoflagellates as “zooxanthellae” with corals and giant clams1–3. In contrast, presence algae in ascidians (sea squirts: Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Tunicata), although for many years, has been studied very little. It association confined to tropical family Didemnidae, but even phylum which belong, or indeed whether green cells question are at all, remained uncertain. During a recent expedition RV Alpha Helix Great Barrier Reef, we encountered several species colonial asdidians containing large numbers bright green, spherical cells. We have established by optical electron microscopy these blue-green algae; their primitive chordates represents considerable extension host range prokaryotes.