Abstract
Abstract Three new non-geniculate coralline algal species from South Africa are described that were passing under the misapplied name, Spongites yendoi. Based on plastid encoded DNA sequences from psbA and rbcL markers, these species belong in the subfamily Chamberlainoideae. The DNA sequences, supported by the morpho-anatomical character of tetrasporangial conceptacle roof development, placed all three species in the genus Chamberlainium and not Pneophyllum, the only other genus in Chamberlainoideae. In addition to the diagnostic DNA sequences, Chamberlainium capense sp. nov., C. glebosum sp. nov. and Chamberlainium occidentale sp. nov. may be distinguished by a combination of habit, habitat, geographic distribution, and several morpho-anatomical features. Biogeographically all three species are found in the Benguela Marine Province of South Africa, with C. occidentale being the most widespread. Chamberlainium glebosum also has a wide, but disjunct distribution and C. capense is another South African endemic non-geniculate coralline, whose range is restricted to a 43 km stretch of coastline. Thus far, DNA sequences from type specimens of non-geniculate corallines show that only those species whose type localities are from South Africa are correctly applied; all other non-geniculate coralline names are likely misapplied in South Africa.
Highlights
The South African rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal zones have both an abundance and diversity of nongeniculate coralline red algae with three (Corallinales, Hapalidiales, Sporolithales; Stephenson and Stephenson 1972; Maneveldt et al 2008) of the four orders (Corallinales, Corallinapetrales, Hapalidiales, Sporolithales; Jeong et al 2020) represented
The RAxML and Bayesian analyses, for both the psbA (Figure 2) and rbcL (Figure 3) genes were congruent in resolving Chamberlainium capense sp. nov., Chamberlainium glebosum sp. nov. and Chamberlainium occidentale sp. nov. in a monophyletic clade in Chamberlainoideae with full support (100% BS/ 1 PP)
In the psbA tree (Figure 2), the clade formed by C. cochleare, C. capense, C. glebosum and C. occidentale is weakly supported (83/0.79) as sister to two northeast Pacific species, C. tumidum and C. decipiens; in the rbcL tree (Figure 3) the relationship of these northeast Pacific species is unresolved with respect to the other Chamberlainium species
Summary
The South African rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal zones have both an abundance and diversity of nongeniculate coralline red algae with three (Corallinales, Hapalidiales, Sporolithales; Stephenson and Stephenson 1972; Maneveldt et al 2008) of the four orders (Corallinales, Corallinapetrales, Hapalidiales, Sporolithales; Jeong et al 2020) represented. South Africa has representative species from more than half of the currently recognized extant genera of non-geniculate coralline red algae, with the order Corallinales best represented (Maneveldt et al 2016). Included in this order are species previously placed in Spongites and the recently erected Chamberlainium that are widespread and ecologically important in South Africa (Chamberlain 1993; Keats et al 1993; Maneveldt and Keats 2008; Puckree-Padua et al 2020b). The former of these characters no longer holds true for separating the genera morpho-anatomically (Puckree-Padua et al 2020b)
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