Culture of Fucus Hybrids

Abstract

IT has long been known that cross-fertilization could be carried out between any two of the three species of Fucus, Fucus spiralis L., Fucus vesiculosus L. and Fucus serratus L., and that sometimes quite a high percentage of hybrid zygotes would result1–3. There are no records, however, of the growth of hybrid sporelings in culture beyond the first few segmentations. There are also only very few satisfactory records of naturally occurring hybrids, though it might be assumed, since the cross can be made quite readily in culture, that it would also frequently occur in the sea.