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A range of 27 marine phytoplankton species, representative of several of the principal classes, has been grown under similar conditions in Erd-Schreiber medium with abundant nutrients. Harvesting was carried out 20 days after inoculation while vigorous growth was proceeding. The component fatty acids of the lipids extractable with chloroform-methanol were determined by gas-liquid chromatography. In all, 40 fatty acids were determined. It is likely that the component fatty-acid distribution may be valuable for taxonomic purposes. Thus, specific fatty-acid assemblages may characterize particular Phyla or even classes. For example, the Bacillariophyceae are differentiated from the other organisms examined by the virtual absence of 18:2, 18:3 and 1814; the Cryptophyta are distinguished by their high content of 20:1. The fatty-acid arrays of species belonging to the same genus are frequently very similar, e.g. Dunaliella primolecta and D. tertiolecta.
Chuecas et al. (1969) studied this question.