Biology of Porphyra pulchella sp. nov. from Australia and 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 ‘phyl- lospores’ showed amoeboid motility and germinated forming asexual blades. A conchocelis phase with typical ban- giophycidean 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.