Oligui

Oligui is a fictional genus of freshwater algae created for a science fiction worldbuilding context. In the in-world taxonomy, Oligui is placed within the division Chlorophyta, class Chlorophyceae, order Volvocales, and family Oliguaceae. The genus is described as comprising several species that inhabit shallow ponds, estuaries, and slow rivers across the imagined world of Xenia.

Members of Oligui are small, typically 5–20 micrometers in diameter, and can be found as unicellular forms or loose colonies. They are photosynthetic, containing chlorophylls a and b along with accessory carotenoids, and exhibit flagellar stages in their life cycle. Reproduction occurs mainly asexually by autospores, with occasional mentions of sexual cycles in later fictional texts.

Described species in the setting include Oligui marina and Oligui littoralis. These forms are noted for forming thin biofilms on submerged substrates and contributing to local carbon cycling. In the narrative, they are also explored as potential resources for bioremediation in estuarine systems and as a component of early life-support systems in spacefaring communities.

Discovery and naming within the story trace the genus to an in-universe taxonomist, Dr. Lin Kha, who first described the group in 2190. The name Oligui is presented as derived from a combination of Greek and Latin roots intended to evoke small, scattered colonies, though the exact etymology varies across fictional sources.

Note: Oligui is a fictional genus used for worldbuilding and does not refer to any described real-world organism.