Deep-water green algae from the Bahamas, including Cladophora vandenhoekii sp. nov. (Cladophorales)

Abstract

Studies on deep-water green algae (Chlorophyta) collected using the submersible Johnson-sea-Link I off San Salvador Island, Bahamas, revealed species belonging to the Cladophorales, Siphonocladales and Bryopsidales. All were either siphonous or giant-celled types, suggesting that these morphologies are the dominant forms of green algae in the Caribbean deep-water flora. Twenty-five taxa are reported, excluding species of Halimeda and an undescribed tetrasporalean alga. Cladophora vandenhoekii sp. nov. (Cladophorales) is apparently a deep-water endemic, remarkable for its exceptionally large cells and net-like appearance. The genus Johnson-sea-linkia Earle et Eiseman is considered to be a synonym of Rhipiliopsis A. Gepp et E. S. Gepp, and the combination R. profunda (Eiseman et Earle) J. Norris et S. Blair is proposed. Microdictyon laxereticulatum Setchell and Avrainvillea lacerata J. Agardh are newly reported from the western Atlantic, and II taxa are now reported for the Bahamas: Cladophora coelothrix Kützing, C. pellucidoidea van den Hoek, Anadyoneme saldanhae Joly et Oliveira Filho, A. linkinana D. Littler et M. Littler, Microdictyon boergesenii Setchell, Struvea anastomosans (Harvey) Piccone et Grunow ex Piccone, Pseudocodium floridanum Dawes et Mathieson, Codium isthmocladum subsp. clavatum (Collins et Hervey) Silva, Bryopsis ramulosa Montagne, Caulerpa racemosa var. occidentalis (J. Agardh) Børgesen, and C. peltata Lamouroux. Twenty-one species are reported from depths of > 20 m more than their previous records. Fifteen of these were found at depths > 50 m greater than previously recorded, eight of which were known only from the intertidal or from water shallower than 10 m.