Taxonomy
Hydrodictyon reticulatum from Sugaonuma pond, Japan. © Joso Ibaraki Pref., Japan.
Hydrodictyon reticulatum or water net cells aggregate to form colonies or mats.
colonies or mats are
- a single-layered membrane or sac-like network of several thousand cells
- free-floating or secondarily attached
- reaching over 50cm long
- meshes clearly visible in large colonies
Cells are
- cylindrical to oblong-oval, up to 15mm long
- 2-4 adjacent cells connected by their edges and forming 5-6-sided meshes