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A reassessment of the taxonomic status of Porphyra suborbiculata, Porphyra carolinensis and Porphyra lilliputiana (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) based on molecular and morphological data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2002

J. E. BROOM
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
W. A. NELSON
Affiliation:
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, PO Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand
C. YARISH
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 1 University Place, Stamford, CT 06901-2315 USA
W. A. JONES
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand
R. AGUILAR ROSAS
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Apartado Postal 453, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
L. E. AGUILAR ROSAS
Affiliation:
Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Apartado Postal 453, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
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Abstract

We examined three species of diminutive Porphyra,Porphyra suborbiculata Kjellman from the North Pacific, Porphyra lilliputiana W. A. Nelson, G. A. Knight et M. W. Hawkes from the South Pacific, and Porphyra carolinensis Coll et J. Cox from the western North Atlantic. These taxa were compared in terms of morphology, habitat data and sequence haplotypes of nuclear small subunit rDNA (SSU) and internal transcribed spacers of the nuclear rDNA cistron (ITS). These three species have similar morphologies and growth habits, and share very similar type descriptions and habitat records. Haplotype variation was found within the 11 samples of P. lilliputiana we examined and within P. suborbiculata samples from two locations, but the single P. carolinensis haplotype (from collections from two separate locations) was identical to one found in several widespread P. lilliputiana samples. Unrooted phylogenetic trees based on sequence data do not support any of the three species as being a monophyletic group. We conclude that these three taxa represent a single species with the oldest name P. suborbiculata having nomenclatural priority. It is likely that P. suborbiculata has recently been introduced to the western Atlantic from the Pacific region.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2002 British Phycological Society

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