MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF THE GRACILARIACEAE (GRACILARIALES, RHODOPHYTA) WITH EMPHASIS ON SOUTHERN AFRICA

Southern Africa has economically exploited populations of terete gracilarioids on the cool temperate west coast and numerous species of endemic and Indo-Pacific tropical Gracilariaceae on the south and east coasts. Gross morphological characters have been the main means of identification, and incorr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of phycology 2005-06, Vol.41 (3), p.672-684
Main Authors: Iyer, Revel, Tronchin, Enrico M., Bolton, John J., Coyne, Vernon E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
18S rDNA
Gracilariaceae
Marine
phylogeny
RUBISCO spacer
southern Africa
systematics
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Summary:Southern Africa has economically exploited populations of terete gracilarioids on the cool temperate west coast and numerous species of endemic and Indo-Pacific tropical Gracilariaceae on the south and east coasts. Gross morphological characters have been the main means of identification, and incorrect applications have led to a number of misidentifications. In this study, small subunit rDNA and RUBISCO spacer sequences were used to determine phylogenetic relationships. Whereas rDNA sequences successfully differentiate major groups within the family as well as species belonging to the Gracilariopsis and the Curdiea-Melanthalia clade, RUBISCO spacer sequencing was required to distinguish between species of Gracilaria. The southern African gracilarioid complex (stringy, terete, elongate members of the Gracilariaceae) was resolved into three species: Gracilaria gracilis, Gracilariopsis longissima, and Gracilariopsis funicularis. South African Gracilaria protea was shown to be conspecific with tropical Indian Ocean G. corticata. Apart from G. gracilis and G. corticata, South African Gracilaria species were differentiated into a temperate-tropical terete grouping and a temperate-tropical flattened grouping.
ISSN:0022-3646
1529-8817
DOI:10.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.00088.x