DNA Sequence Analyses Reveal Two New Species of Caloglossa (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta) from the Skin of West Indian Manatees

Abstract

Epizoic macroalgae collected from the skin of West Indian manatees included specimens of the red algal family Delesseriaceae. Morphological and rbcL sequence analyses indicated that these specimens represented two novel species of Caloglossa. One species, described here as Caloglossa kamiyana Freshwater, Cath.E. Miller & Frankovich sp. nov., had been previously studied and recognized as part of the C. ogasawaraensis species complex. The rbcL sequence divergence between C. kamiyana and other taxa within the complex ranged from 4.6–5.3%, and tetrasporangial mother cells are cut off from the lateral pericentral cells by oblique divisions instead of transverse divisions as in C. ogasawaraensis. The second species was resolved as a closely related sister species to C. fluviatilis, with a minimum interspecific sequence divergence of 2.0%. It was morphologically indistinguishable from C. fluviatilis except for one potential character—mostly one, instead of multiple rhizoids, developing from rhizoid-bearing pericentral and marginal wing cells. It is herein described as Caloglossa manaticola Freshwater, Cath.E. Miller & Frankovich sp. nov.

Caloglossa fluviatilis Krayesky, Fredericq & J.N.Norris (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta) from Bataan province, Luzon Island, Philippines, a new country record

“…However, despite its widespread distribution, few morphological variations have been reported among its species, and some are occasionally difficult to distinguish morphologically. Recent phylogenetic analyses within Caloglossa re-examined its infraspecific classifications using molecular data and revealed some paraphyletic members (Kamiya et al, 2003;Kamiya and West, 2014;Kamiya et al, 2016;Freshwater et al, 2021). These studies successfully established the differences among Caloglossa beccarii (Zanardini) De Toni, C. fluviatilis Krayesky, Fredericq & J.N.Norris, C. ogasawaraensis Okamura and C. stipitata Post using various morphological characteristics and molecular data and led to the recognition of three new species, C. fonticola Fang, Nan, Feng, Liu, Liu & Xie;C.…”

“…These studies successfully established the differences among Caloglossa beccarii (Zanardini) De Toni, C. fluviatilis Krayesky, Fredericq & J.N.Norris, C. ogasawaraensis Okamura and C. stipitata Post using various morphological characteristics and molecular data and led to the recognition of three new species, C. fonticola Fang, Nan, Feng, Liu, Liu & Xie;C. kamiyana Freshwater, Cath.E.Miller & Frankovich, and C. manaticola Freshwater, Cath.E.Miller & Frankovich (Fang et al, 2021;Freshwater et al, 2021). About six taxa of the genus Caloglossa have been described and documented in countries in Southeast Asia (Kamiya et al, 2003;Johnston et al, 2014;Kamiya and West, 2014;Kamiya et al, 2016;Chankaew et al, 2019).…”