Aphanizomenon is an important genus of cyanobacteria that inhabits freshwater lakes and can cause choking blooms. Studies on the species Aphanizomenon flos-aquae have shown that it can regulate buoyancy through light-induced changes in turgor pressure. It is also able to move by means of gliding, though the specific mechanism by which this is possible is not yet known.

Several companies have begun selling dietary supplements containing Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is a freshwater species of cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are an ancient clade of bacterial microphyte, part of the cyanobacteria phylum.AFA as a species has both toxic and nontoxic forms...

. They are marketed for improving overall health in a number of ways similar to Chlorella

Chlorella

Chlorella is a genus of single-celled green algae, belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta. It is spherical in shape, about 2 to 10 μm in diameter, and is without flagella. Chlorella contains the green photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll-a and -b in its chloroplast...

 and Spirulina, another species of cyanobacteria.