Occurrence of Genus Microcystis Lemmerm. from water bodies of Maldah district, West Bengal, India

Present investigation deals with systematic enumeration of Genus Microcystis. collected from different water bodies of Maldah District, West Bengal and its impacts for which systematic survey and collection of the samples was carried out from different water bodies of all administrative blocks of Maldah District namely Ratua I, Ratua II, Harishchandrapur I, Harishchandrapur II, Chanchal I, Chanchal II, Manikchak, Gazol, Habibpur, Bamangola, Old Maldah, English Bazar and Kaliachak. Altogether ten species of Genus Microcystis viz. Microcystis aeruginosa, M. flos-aquae, M. ichthyoblabe, M. novacekii, M. panniformis, M. protocystis, M. pseudofilamentosa, M. robusta, M. viridis and M. wesenbergii were recorded from different water bodies of Maldah District, West Bengal. Out of ten, four species of Genus Microcystis viz. Microcystis ichthyoblabe, M. panniformis, M. wesenbergii and M. novacekii have been reported for the first time from water bodies of block Ratua I, Old Maldah and English Bazar of Maldah District, West Bengal. Some of the species of Microcystis are bloom forming. Taxonomically, the Genus Microcystis is very important because of its characteristic features among the cyanophycean forms, global distribution and occurrence.