The Occurrence of Laminarionema elsbetiae (Phaeophyceae) on Rhodymenia pseudopalmata (Rhodophyta) from the Patagonian Coasts of Argentina: Characteristics of the Relationship in Natural and Experimental Infections, and Morphology of the Epi-endophyte in Unialgal Free Cultures

Abstract

The occurrence of Laminarionema elsbetiae (Ectocarpaceae, Phaeophyceae), as epi-endophyte of Rhodymenia pseudopalmata (Rhodymeniales, Rhodophyta), described from Santa Isabel, Rawson, Argentina. L. elsbetiae grows in the host tissues forming epi-endophytic relationship in the epidermal, cortical and medullar layers. Epiphytic thalli of L. elsbetiae were unbranched filaments emerging from hostis surface. Reproductive structures of L. elsbetiae on the host were absent. On the contrary, free cultured individuals formed different reproductive structures. Macrozoosporangia containing a single large motile zoospore originated from vegetative cells, they were conical to cylindrical in shape, 30-50 μm in length and 18-20 μm in wide. Uniseriate plurilocular zoosporangia were cylindrical shape, 40 μm in length and 10-13 μm in wide. Sexual fusion was not seen. In mixed cultures of L. elsbetiae with R. pseudopalmata fronds, L. elsbetiae infected the host, grew as in natural host and, formed macrosporangia between host subcortical cells. Gametophytes of L. elsbetiae were filaments with diffuse growth, branched with a branch pattern alternate or opposite. Gametangia were plurilocular, uni or biseriate and lateral. When mature they contained 2 to 6 isogametes. The presence L. elsbetiae on R. pseudopalmata could be defined as an epi-endophytic relationship. The percentage of infection of R. pseudopalmata thalli by L. elsbetiae was 34%.A25% of the infected thalli presented a low, non-symptomatic level infection, whereas a 62% and a 13% of them exhibited respectively moderate and high indexes of infection.