First report of Halopeltis (Rhodophyta, Rhodymeniaceae) from the non-tropical Northern Hemisphere: H. adnata (Okamura) comb. nov. from Korea, and H. pellucida sp. nov. and H. willisii sp. nov. from the North Atlantic

doi:2012.27.2.95

Algae > Volume 27(2); 2012 > Article

Algae 2012;27(2): 95-108. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/algae.2012.27.2.095

Craig W. Schneider¹^,*, D. Wilson Freshwater² and Gary W. Saunders³

¹Department of Biology, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106, USA
²Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 5600 Marvin Moss Lane, Wilmington, NC 28409, USA
³Centre for Environmental & Molecular Algal Research, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada

*Corresponding Author

Email: cschneid@trincoll.edu

ABSTRACT

Using genetic sequencing (COI-5P, LSU, rbcL) to elucidate their phylogenetic positions and then morphological characters to distinguish each from existing species, three procumbent species, including two novel species, from warm temperate Northern Hemisphere waters are added to the recently resurrected genus Halopeltis J. Agardh: H. adnata (Okamura) comb. nov. from Korea, H. pellucida sp. nov. from Bermuda and H. willisii sp. nov. from North Carolina, USA. Prior to these reports, the genus was confined to the Southern Hemisphere and tropical equatorial waters of the Northern Hemisphere although the latter records lack molecular confirmation. These three additional species join the six known species presently residing in Halopeltis.

Key words: Bermuda; Halopeltis; H. adnata comb. nov.; H. pellucida sp. nov.; H. willisii sp. nov.; Korea; North Carolina; Rhodymenia adnata; Rhodymeniaceae