Phenotypic plasticity and morphological adaptation of Halimeda opuntia (Bryopsidales,Chlorophyta) to light intensity

Plasticity gives plants the ability to adapt their morphology and growth to various environments. Environmental factors can lead to changes in the growth forms of algae. Halimeda opuntia was used as a model organism to determine the effects of highly irradiated and shade conditions in the field and its responses to low light conditions in the laboratory, which are known to be some of the main factors driving its morphological plasticity. To investigate the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the species, a total of 61 characteristics and 54 samples from Thailand, Japan and Indonesia were examined. In addition, we also tested the response under different light conditions in the laboratory. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the tufA marker to confirm the species identification. We found that the thallus forms, branching patterns and segment shapes and sizes responded to the different light conditions. A brittle thallus network was found under shade conditions with low light intensity, while a compact thallus form was found under highly irradiated conditions. The H. opuntia segment shape was reniform under highly irradiated conditions, but its segments were adapted to be deeply trilobed in the lower thallus and tripartite shape in the upper thallus under shade conditions. The segment size also adapted; the segments in shaded areas were longer than those in sunny areas, which might have helped them increase their thallus height to ensure exposure to the high light habitat. This morphological variation and plasticity expanded our understanding of the range of H. opuntia plasticity present in the field and could help explain why this species is common and successfully colonizes various habitats worldwide.