A NEW AGAROPHYTE SPECIES,GELIDIUM EUCORNEUM SP. NOV. (GELIDIALES,RHODOPHYTA), BASED ON MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL DATA1 |
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Authors: | Kyeong Mi Kim Il Ki Hwang Jeong Kwang Park Sung Min Boo |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305‐764, Korea;2. Seaweed Research Center, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Mokpo 530‐821, Korea |
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Abstract: | Gelidium is an economically and ecologically important agar‐producing genus. Although the taxonomy of Gelidium has been the focus of many published studies, there is still a need to reevaluate species‐level diversity. Herein, we describe Gelidium eucorneum sp. nov. based on specimens collected off Geojedo on the southern coast of Korea. G. eucorneum is distinguished by cartilaginous thalli with brush‐like haptera, rhizoidal filaments concentrated in the medulla, and globose cytocarps that are horned with multiple determinate branchlets. The species occurs in wave‐exposed intertidal sites, sometimes in association with other mat‐forming algae. Phylogenetic analyses (rbcL, psaA, and cox1) reveal that G. eucorneum is unique and clearly distinct from other species of the genus. The clade containing Gelidium vagum and Acanthopeltis longiramulosa was resolved as a sister group to G. eucorneum. We suggest that the diverse morphologies of G. eucorneum, G. vagum, and Acanthopeltis developed from a common ancestor in East Asian waters. This study shows that even in well‐studied areas, more agarophyte species are to be added to the world inventory of red algae. |
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Keywords: | Gelidium Gelidium eucorneum sp. nov. mitochondrial cox1 morphology plastid genes psaA rbcL Rhodophyta systematics |
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