vs European pine marten

Chrysococcus radians compared with Martes martes

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while European pine marten is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		European pine marten
Kingdom	Chromista (Chromista)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chrysophyceae (Chrysophyceae)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chromulinales (Chromulinales)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Dinobryaceae	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Chrysococcus	Martes
Species	Chrysococcus radians	Martes martes

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

European pine marten

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		European pine marten
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Denmark, and Sweden.

European pine marten

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Chrysococcus radians is a freshwater chrysophyte microalga in the genus Chrysococcus, class Chrysophyceae, order Chromulinales. The species epithet radians — radiating — describes a lorica with radiating spine-like projections or extensions emanating from the central body of the outer case, a morphological feature readily distinguishable under light microscopy. Radiating processes on chrysophyte loricas are thought to increase the effective surface area of the cell, potentially slowing sinking and maintaining the organism in the illuminated photic zone of freshwater lakes. C. radians has been documented from Norwegian and Swedish freshwater systems, with additional records from Denmark, consistent with a broader northern European distribution of this species. Scandinavian lakes, particularly the oligotrophic highland lakes of Norway and Sweden, harbor diverse chrysophyte communities in which Chrysococcus and related genera are frequently dominant components during spring and autumn mixing periods. The species inhabits the limnetic zone, where it engages in photosynthesis using the characteristic golden-brown chrysophyte pigments — chlorophylls a and c combined with fucoxanthin. Like other genus members, C. radians may also practice mixotrophic feeding on bacteria and dissolved organic matter, providing nutritional flexibility in oligotrophic environments. Siliceous stomatocysts produced by chrysophytes can survive in lake sediments and provide paleolimnological records of past environmental change. C. radians has not been evaluated under IUCN Red List criteria and is classified as Not Evaluated.

European pine marten

European pine marten (Martes martes) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.