Pinguiophyceae is a classis of marine Heterokontophyta. Includes 5 species of unicellular organisms with high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acid

Polyunsaturated fatty acid

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are fatty acids that contain more than one double bond in their backbone. This class includes many important compounds, such as essential fatty acids and those that give drying oils their characteristic property....

s in the cytoplasm

Cytoplasm

The cytoplasm is a small gel-like substance residing between the cell membrane holding all the cell's internal sub-structures , except for the nucleus. All the contents of the cells of prokaryote organisms are contained within the cytoplasm...

. The other common features are the lack of cell wall

Cell wall

The cell wall is the tough, usually flexible but sometimes fairly rigid layer that surrounds some types of cells. It is located outside the cell membrane and provides these cells with structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mechanism. A major function of the cell wall is to...

 and the tendency for flagella loss even on the stage of zoospore

Zoospore

A zoospore is a motile asexual spore that uses a flagellum for locomotion. Also called a swarm spore, these spores are created by some algae, bacteria and fungi to propagate themselves.-Flagella:...

 which is unusual for heterokonts. One species (Polypodochrysis teissieri) inhabits benthic substates (sometimes found the mucilage

Mucilage

Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by most plants and some microorganisms. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide.It occurs in various parts of nearly all classes of plant, usually in relatively small percentages, and is frequently associated with other substances, such as...

 of other algae) and is albe to produce lorica

Lorica (biology)

In biology, a lorica is a shell-like protective outer covering, often reinforced with sand grains and other particles that some protozoans and loricifera metazoans secrete. Usually it is tubular or conical in shape, with a loose case that is closed at one end. An example is the protozoan genus...

 with one or more tubular necks. The other species live in the plankton

Plankton

Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...

.

Species

• Glossomastix chrysoplasta
  Glossomastix
  Glossomastix is a genus of heterokont.It includes the species Glossomastix chrysoplasta....
  
  O’Kelly, 2002
• Phaeomonas parva Honda & Inouye, 2002
• Pinguiochrysis pyriformis Kawachi, Atsumi, Ikemoto & Miyachi, 2002
• Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus
  Pinguiococcus
  Pinguiococcus is a genus of heterokont.It includes the species Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus....
  
  Andersen, Potter & Bailey, 2002
• Polypodochrysis teissieri Magne, 1975