Morphological and molecular characterization of Hapalospongidion gelatinosum, Hapalospongidiaceae fam. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) from Mexico

Abstract

The morphology of the crustose brown alga

Proposal for the Sungminiaceae fam. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) for Sungminia gen. nov. with three new species based on molecular and morphological analyses

“…Our multigene sequence analyses revealed the genetic differences in rbcL gene sequences (9.8-11.8%) and COI-5P gene (30.0-34.3%) between Sungminia and Mesospora, while in rbcL gene sequences (9.6-13.9%) and between Sungminia and other genera within the Ralfsiales, respectively. As a comparison, families recognized within the Ralfsiales differed by ≧9.7% in the rbcL gene (Le on- Alvarez et al 2017, Parente et al 2021. We propose that Sungminia can be recognized as the basis for a new, higher-level taxon within the Ralfsiales.…”

“…The Ralfsiales has been recognized by emended morphological characters: (i) discoid early development of the thallus, (ii) one to several plate-or cup-shaped chloroplasts without pyrenoids, (iii) plurangia with sterile terminal cell (s) and terminal unangia and (iv) presence of crustose gametophytic or sporophytic stages in their life history (Lim et al 2007). The classification system of the Ralfsiales at the familial level has been added and revised several times (Tanaka and Chihara 1982, Lim et al 2007, Le on-Alvarez et al 2017, Parente et al 2021.…”

“…However, due to a lack of robust taxonomic characteristics, especially in vegetative samples, it is difficult to identify crustose species correctly and recognize their taxonomic placement within the Ralfsiales based on traditional morpho-anatomical characteristics (Parente and Saunders 2019). Recently, molecular analyses have been used to infer phylogenetic relationships among genera within the Ralfsiales and to circumscribe their higher-level rank (Lim et al 2007, Le on-Alvarez et al 2017, Parente et al 2021). The rbcL gene has been considered to have the most suitable resolution for discerning the ordinal and familial phylogenetic relations within the Phaeophyceae (Sasaki et al 2001, Kawai and Sasaki 2004, Draisma et al 2010.…”

“…The rbcL gene has been considered to have the most suitable resolution for discerning the ordinal and familial phylogenetic relations within the Phaeophyceae (Sasaki et al 2001, Kawai and Sasaki 2004, Draisma et al 2010. Currently, five families have been recognized within the Ralfsiales based on morphological and molecular analyses: Hapalospongidiaceae, Mesosporaceae, Neoralfsiaceae, Pseudoralfsiaceae, and Ralfsiaceae (Farlow 1881, Lim et al 2007, Poong et al 2013, 2014, Le on-Alvarez et al 2017, Parente et al 2021.…”

Endoplura jejuensis sp. nov. and Endoplura koreana sp. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) from Korea based on molecular and morphological analyses

“…A taxonomic study about crustose Ralfsiaceae from Korea has been carried out by combining molecular and morphological approaches (Oteng'o and Won 2020). Recent taxonomic studies on crustose brown algae in Canada, Indonesia, Japan, and Mexico indicated their great potential in diversity not only at the species level but also at the genus and family levels (Lim et al 2007, Poong et al 2013, León-Álvarez et al 2017, Parente and Saunders 2019, Parente et al 2021. Because Korea has been known as a potential hotspot of seaweed diversity for the species and generic level (Yang et al 2020), continuous surveys about crustose brown seaweeds will contribute to the expansion of our knowledge of species diversity and ecological knowledge.…”