Porphyra migitae sp. nov. (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) from Japan

Abstract

Kikuchi N., Arai S., Yoshida G., Shin J.-A., Broom J.E., Nelson W.A. and Miyata M. 2010. Porphyra migitae sp. nov. (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) from Japan. Phycologia 49: 345–354. DOI: 10.2216/09-82.1A new species of Porphyra, Porphyra migitae sp. nov., coloured fire red and collected subtidally in two localities in Japan, is described based on morphology, life history and molecular analyses. The new species can be distinguished from other fire-red coloured Porphyra species by a range of characters including the presence of conchospores and many archeospores and neutral spores on foliose thalli. Foliose thalli, which are sometimes lobed, are monoecious, and clearly distinguishable patches of spermatangial sori are not formed. Many holes are formed on the foliose thalli after release of spermatia. This species has a heteromorphic life history in which the macroscopic gametophytic foliose thalli alternate with the microscopic sporophytic filamentous thalli (conchocelis). In addition, the life history includes additional reproductive cycles of the foliose thalli via archeospores and neutral spores. This species has the widest range of asexual reproductive strategies so far observed in the Bangiales. Molecular phylogenies based on both the nuclear SSU rDNA and the rbcL genes enable this species to be distinguished from other species of Porphyra for which there are equivalent data.