New Record of a Marine Algal Species, Ahnfeltiopsis linearis (Phyllophoraceae, Gigartinales), in Korea

Abstract

A marine algal species belonging to Gigartinales was collected from Geoje, Korea. This shares the generic features of Ahnfeltiopsis, such as multiaxial thalli with a compact and pseudoparenchymatous medulla, densely cytoplasmic secondary medullary cells around immersed cystocarps with a carpostome, and is distinct from similar species within the genus by a combined feature of small (up to 4 cm tall) and tuft thalli, compressed to subcompressed branches except for ultimate branchlets and base of main axes, cartilaginous in texture, dichotomous branches, rarely produced proliferations, absence of hypha-like filament in the medulla and internal cystocarps with a carpostome. In phylogenetic tree based on rbcL sequence, the Korean species nests in the same clade with Ahnfeltiopsis linearis. The genetic distance between both sequences within the clade was 1.5%, considered to be within the intra-species range for the genus. This morphological and molecular evidence confirms the Korean alga to be identified as A. linearis originally described from California. This is the first record of A. linearis in Korea.