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Taxonomic re‐examination of J apanese H alimeda species using genetic markers, and proposal of a new species H alimeda ryukyuensis ( B ryopsidales, C hlorophyta)
Author(s) -
Kojima Rei,
Hanyuda Takeaki,
Kawai Hiroshi
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
phycological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.438
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1835
pISSN - 1322-0829
DOI - 10.1111/pre.12095
Subject(s) - biology , taxon , phylogenetic tree , zoology , thallus , botany , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene
Summary In order to elucidate the biodiversity of J apanese H alimeda species, we investigated molecular phylogenetic relationships using tuf A and rbc L DNA sequences, and the occurrence of 9 of the 11 species previously reported in J apan was confirmed (i.e., H . borneensis , H . cuneata , H . discoidea , H . distorta , H . kanaloana , H . macroloba , H . opuntia , H . renschii and H . velasquezii ). In addition, H . minima , which has not been recorded in J apan, as well as an undescribed taxon, were noticed at O kinawa I sland, O kinawa, J apan. The undescribed taxon was genetically closest to H . lacunalis , but distinct from that species in having much smaller thalli, with elliptical segments and turbinate peripheral utricles. It appears to belong to the section H alimeda in the morphology of the segments, but differs from related taxa such as H . taenicola and H . tuna in its considerably smaller size and in showing fusion between the adjacent peripheral utricles. Therefore, we describe a new species H alimeda ryukyuensis sp. nov. In addition, based on morphological re‐examination of the type specimen of H . lacunalis , we suggest emendation of the description of the species as having siphons completely fused in pairs or triplets at the nodes.