Rhodomonas

Rhodomonas is a genus of cryptomonads, single-celled algae distinguished by their reddish coloration, a chloroplast associated with a residual second nucleus called a nucleomorph, and square-shaped plates in their inner cell covering. Historically identified mainly by its red pigmentation, the genus is increasingly defined by molecular and cellular characteristics as taxonomists work out its roughly twenty recognized species, including Rhodomonas salina. It is found in marine environments worldwide, with some freshwater species also documented, and it is widely used as a live feed for other organisms in aquaculture.