A freshwater red alga Compsopogon coeruleus (Balbis) Montagne from Bucal, Calamba, Laguna, Philippines

Abstract

Compsopogon coeruleus (Balbis) Montagne was observed for the first time along the shallow, flowing portions of the spring that occurs naturally in Bucal, Calamba, Laguna. A year-round study of some habitat conditions in the sampling site was done. These conditions included air and water temperature (mean=28.5°C), pH (mean=6.5), orthophosphate (mean=0.26 ppm), ammonia-nitrogen (mean =0.52 ppm), depth of water (mean=12 cm), speed of current (mean=0.19 m/s) and light intensity (mean=770 foot candles). This alga seems to be a good indicator of organic pollution.

A description of morpho-cytological characteristics in situ and in culture is given. Better growth was observed in a defined inorganic medium using different mixing waters (distilled, tap and filtered Bucal waters) over plain mixing waters. Germination of presumptive cortical cells into uniseriate filaments and monospore germination was observed after about 10 days of incubation in all media.