- Over 300 of the 800 described species of
Staurastrum can be found in North America, and many species
are cosmopolitan. The genus is most commonly found in the sediments
or periphyton
- of acidic and oligotrophic lakes, ponds,
and swamps. The cells with longer projections can achieve greater
buoyancy in the water column and are often planktonic. Many Staurastrum
species serve as indicators of eutrophic conditions, while Staurastrum
longipes is a widely used bioindicator of mildly acidic,
oligotrophic waters. Staurastrum cells sometimes become
infested by chytrids.
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