Biology of Porphyra pulchella sp. nov. from Australia and New Zealand

doi:2006.21.2.193

Algae > Volume 21(2); 2006 > Article

Algae 2006;21(2): 193-208. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/algae.2006.21.2.193

Jillian C. Ackland¹, John A. West¹, Joseph Scott², Giuseppe C. Zuccarello³ and Judy Broom⁴

¹School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
²Department of Biology, PO Box 8795, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA
³School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6001, New Zealand
⁴Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Porphyra pulchella sp. nov. Ackland, West, Scott and Zuccarello was obtained at Mimosa Rock National Park, New South Wales; Westgate Bridge, Victoria, Australia; and Waihau Bay, North Island, New Zealand. It occurs mainly in mangrove habitats and is very small (± 1 mm) in field collections. In laboratory culture at 21 ± 2°C tiny blades (0.5- 3.0 mm) reproduced exclusively by archeospores liberated from vegetative cells of the upper sector of the blades. The archeospores displayed amoeboid and gliding motility once discharged. At 14 ± 2°C the blades grew to 25 mm and produced longitudinal spermatangial streaks mixed with ‘phyllosporangial’ streaks. The discharged ‘phyllospores’ showed amoeboid motility and germinated forming asexual blades. A conchocelis phase with typical bangiophycidean pit connections was observed in blade cultures after 8-10 weeks at 14 ± 2°C. Conchocelis filaments produced conchosporangia and these released amoeboid conchospores that developed into archeosporangiate blades. Molecular data indicate that all 3 isolates are genetically identical.

Key words: Australia, molecular phylogeny, New Zealand, Porphyra pulchella sp. nov. SSU rDNA, TEM