Oscillatoria





		Genus: Oscillatoria \| Cyanobacteria Species in photograph: Oscillatoria lutea Order: Nostocales Family: Oscillatoriaceae Description: Oscillatoria is a genus of unbranched filamentous cyanobacteria with mucilaginous sheaths. The genus is named for its oscillating movement; filaments can slide back and forth in order to orient the colony towards a light source. Oscillatoria can produce both anatoxin-a and microcystins. Synonym: Oscillatoria is closely related to the genera Planktothrix, Limnothrix, Tychonema, and Trichodesmium.

This Phytoplankton Identification page is affiliated with CeNCOOS and HABMAP, and is maintained by the Kudela Lab at the University of California Santa Cruz. Details about site history, funding, and sources of information and images can be found here.