Indian Scientists Find New Species Of Green Algae, Largest Single-Celled Organism

In August, Indian scientists discovered a new species of green algae in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the largest single-celled organisms known.

Officially named "Acetabularia jalakanyakae" by marine biologists, the word "jalakanyakae" is Sanskrit for mermaid, representing the umbrellas of algae that resemble parasols.

The algae is particularly special for each umbrella of this algae represents a single giant cell, with a single nucleus situated at the base of its roots.

Felix Bast

Accidentally discovered by Indian scientists

Discovered by scientists from the Central University of Punjab (CUP), the study was led by Felix Bast, who told the Times Of India that this botanical condition is called "coenocytic."

The algae was discovered accidentally by Bast, who was in the Andamans for a trip in May 2019, when he stumbled upon this algae. He first assumed that it was "Acetabularia acetabulum" or one of its variants, but after researching it for 18 months he found that it was a new species altogether.

Central University of Punjab

To assess the characteristics of the algae, scientists combined electron microscopy-based morphological studies with DNA sequence-based phylogenetic analyses, TOI first reported.

Also read: Indian Scientists Find Way To Capture CO2 And Turn It Into Eco-Friendly Methane

The paper was accepted for publication by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in the Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences. Co-authors include Khem Chand Saini (a PhD student), Aravind Madhu (an intern), RK Kohli (former vice chancellor), and Kriti Gupta (assistant professor).

RoundGlass Sustain

Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a high diversity of algae species. Currently, most algal species remain under the threat of perishing in the face of climate changes as coral reefs get bleached and natural conditions for microorganisms to flourish get depleted.

Also read: Indian Scientists Discover Bacteria That Eats Toxic Metals From Water, Making It Safe

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Citation

T. (2021, August 19). ¡®Mermaid¡¯ in Andaman archipelago has Bathinda link. The Times of India.