# Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria are tiny organisms that can create their own food from sunlight! They often look like green slime in water and can be found in ponds and lakes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Freshwater, saltwater, and even damp soil.
- **Also known as:** blue-green algae, microalgae, pond slime

![Cyanobacteria](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/20651/medium.jpg)

Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/20651)

## Appearance

The Cyanobacteria often appears as microscopic cells that form slimy, filamentous, or colonial structures visible to the naked eye. These can display vibrant hues, typically ranging from blue-green to olive green, sometimes with reddish or brownish tones.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Bacteria
- **Class:** Cyanophyceae
- **Order:** Nostocales

## Interesting facts

- Cyanobacteria are Earth's oldest known fossils, dating back 3.5 billion years!
- Some tiny cyanobacteria produce a natural 'sunscreen' to shield themselves from UV rays!
- The vibrant pink color of some flamingos comes from eating certain cyanobacteria!
- They can form vast, colorful mats in oceans and lakes, visible from space!

## Special abilities

- **Solar Powerhouse:** Cyanobacteria can capture sunlight to create their own food and release oxygen, powering life on Earth.
- **Nutrient Magician:** Cyanobacteria can convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, enriching soil and water for other living things.
- **Super Sticky Builders:** Cyanobacteria can form strong biofilms and colonies, allowing them to thrive in diverse and sometimes harsh environments.
- **Color Changing Camouflage:** Some cyanobacteria have special pigments that can change color, helping them adapt to different light conditions.

## Measurements & details

- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** water flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Common food source for small aquatic invertebrates.
- **Eaten by:** [zebra mussel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/zebra-mussel) (*Dreissena polymorpha*) — Filter-feeding mussels consume cyanobacteria from water.
- **Symbiotic with:** dog lichen (*Peltigera canina*) — Forms lichen partnerships, providing food for fungi.
- **Symbiotic with:** mosquito fern (*Azolla filiculoides*) — Lives in fern leaves, fixing nitrogen for the plant.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cyanobacteria?

The easiest way to identify Cyanobacteria is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.

### Is Cyanobacteria edible?

No

### Is Cyanobacteria toxic?

High

### What is Cyanobacteria's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is Cyanobacteria usually found?

Freshwater, saltwater, and even damp soil.

## Where to spot

- [Overbrook Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/overbrook-park) — Florida, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Cyanobacteria: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cyanobacteria)