First findings of the benthic macroalgaeVaucheriacf.dichotoma(Xanthophyceae) andPunctaria tenuissima(Phaeophyceae) in Estonian coastal waters

Abstract

The north-eastern Baltic Sea is known to have relatively low species richness due to unfavourable salinity for many species. Here I report new records of two phytobenthic species for the Estonian marine flora: the yellow-green alga Vaucheria cf. dichotoma (L.) Martius and the epiphytic brown alga Punctaria tenuissima (C. Agardh) Greville. Besides, the former is the first observation of a species of the class Xanthophyceae in the Estonian coastal waters and is the first macrophytobenthic record of the class in the entire Gulf of Riga. The brown alga P. tenuissima was found for the first time in the entire Gulf of Finland. Morphological characteristics are shown for both species and possible reasons behind the new records are discussed.