Volvocaceae
| Volvocaceae | |
|---|---|
| Volvox aureus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Clade: | Viridiplantae |
| Division: | Chlorophyta |
| Class: | Chlorophyceae |
| Order: | Chlamydomonadales |
| Family: | Volvocaceae Ehrenberg |
| Genera | |
| |
The Volvocaceae are a family of unicellular or colonial biflagellates algae, including the typical genus Volvox, and are collectively known as the volvocine algae. The family was named by Ehrenberg in 1834, and it is known in older classifications as the Volvocidae. All species are colonial and typically inhabit freshwater environments. They are particularly useful as model organisms for study the evolution of multicellularity, the evolution of sex, and cellular motion and mechanics.