What is "compsopogon"

Compsopogon caeruleus is a species of red algae that lives in fresh water. It is the only species in the genus Compsopogon and the only representative of the family of compsopogonàcies (Compsopogonaceae). It is found in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Oceania. Compsopogon can tolerate a wide range of conditions in freshwater streams and is propagated by asexual spores.

Compsopogon presents a thallus of simple cylindrical cells inside large covered cortical cells. In more mature and large thallus interior cells can be disintegrated, leaving only the outer cortex.

We observed a wide phenotypic plasticity in studies such as field observations, which historically has been described many species when in reality it is a single species. There are two main morphologies in Compsopogon, which corresponds to regular cortical cells (morphology caeruleus) and which corresponds to growth of cells with extra rizoidals (morphology leptoclados). .