| Navicula | |
|---|---|
| |
| Navicula bullata (left) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | SAR |
| Clade: | Stramenopiles |
| Phylum: | Gyrista |
| Subphylum: | Ochrophytina |
| Class: | Bacillariophyceae |
| Order: | Naviculales |
| Family: | Naviculaceae |
| Genus: | Navicula Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1822 |
| Type species | |
| Navicula tripunctata | |
| Species | |
Navicula is a genus of boat-shaped diatom algae, comprising over 1,200 species.[1] Navicula is Latin for "small ship", and also a term in English for a boat-shaped incense-holder.[2]
Diatoms — eukaryotic, primarily aquatic, single-celled photosynthetic organisms — play an important role in global ecology, producing about a quarter of all the oxygen within Earth's biosphere, often serving as foundational organisms, or keystone species in the food chain of many environments where they provide a staple for the diets of many aquatic species.
- ^ M.D. Guiry (2015). Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. (eds.). "AlgaeBase". World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, "Navicula. 3"