Superphylum Heterokonta Family Naviculaceae Higher classification Naviculaceae | Order Naviculales Scientific name Navicula | |
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Similar Nitzschia, Pinnularia, Gomphonema, Cymbella, Fragilaria | ||
Navicula is a genus of boat-shaped algae — primarily aquatic, eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms, ranging in size from a single cell.
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Navicula is a diatom. The Navicula genus of diatoms comprises over 1,200 species. Navicula is Latin for "small ship", and also a term in English for a boat-shaped incense-holder.
Navicula play an important role in global ecology, producing about a quarter of all the oxygen within Earth's biosphere and serving as keystone species in the food chain of many environments where they provide a staple for the diets of many aquatic species.
Navicula part- 1(by ajay maurya)
Mobility
Navicula diatoms are known for their ability to creep about on each other and on hard surfaces such as microscope slides. It is thought that around the outside of the navicula's shell is a girdle of protoplasm that can flow and thus act as a tank track.
