Important Characteristics of Red Algae: Red Algae are an ancient group of algae with over 5,000 living species. Majority of them are marine. A few (example- Batrachospermum, Lemnaea) are freshwater aquatic or subaquatic terrestrial (example- Porphyridium). Their size varies from unicellular microscopic forms to half a metre in length. Several species of red algae are graceful and lace-like plants. Some red algae secrete CaCO3 on their walls and form coralline algae. They are red in colour due to phycoerythrin and phycocyanin pigments. They have chlorophyll a molecule to capture the blue-green sunlight. These are photo-autotrophic, but some others are colourless, lack … Continue reading Rhodophyta- Red Algae