Endoplura jejuensis sp. nov. and Endoplura koreana sp. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) from Korea based on molecular and morphological analyses

Abstract

The crustose brown algal genus Endoplura has been known as a monotypic genus characterized by its intercalary plurangial reproductive structures composed of 2–4 separate parallel filaments terminated by 2–5 sterile cells and by containing several to many chloroplasts per cell. In this study, Endoplura jejuensis sp. nov. and E. koreana sp. nov. from Korea are newly described based on molecular and morphological analyses. Our phylogenetic analyses of the rbcL gene reveal that E. jejuensis sp. nov. and E. koreana sp. nov. are placed in the same clade with “E. aurea” from Japan with a strong bootstrap supporting value. E. jejuensis is characterized by small and light to dark brown crustose thalli of less than 1 cm diameter, tufts of hairs arising from the basal disc, plurangia composed mostly of two separate parallel reproductive filaments terminated by 2–4 sterile cells, and sessile unangia each with a single paraphysis. E. koreana is distinguished by olive or yellowish-brown crustose thalli of up to 3 cm diameter, tufts of hairs arising from the basal disc, and apical parts of erect filaments, plurangia with 2–5 separate reproductive filaments terminated by 2–8 sterile cells, and sessile unangia with 1–2 paraphyses. Our studies also show that “E. aurea” specimens from Japan may be recognized to be a different species from other Endoplura species.

Proposal for the Sungminiaceae fam. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) for Sungminia gen. nov. with three new species based on molecular and morphological analyses

“…The mitochondrial COI-5P gene was amplified and sequenced using GWSFn and GWSRx (Saunders and McDevit 2012). The PCR amplification for the rbcL gene was performed as described by Oteng'o et al (2021) while that for the COI-5P gene was performed as described by Saunders and McDevit (2012). The additional rbcL gene and COI-5P sequences used in the phylogenetic analysis were selected from GenBank (Table S1 in the supporting information).…”

“…Currently, 10 species within the Ralfsiales have been reported from Korea (Lee and Kang 1986, Lee and Kang 2001, Keum 2010, Oteng'o and Won 2020, Oteng'o et al 2021. Although most crustose brown algal species have been known as species of Ralfsia and Neoralfsia based on their morphology (Lee and Kang 1986, Lee and Kang 2001, Lee 2008, Keum 2010), Oteng'o et al (2021 recently described two new Endoplura species, E. jejuensis and E. koreana, within the Ralfsiaceae from Korea based on morphological and molecular analyses. We collected some unidentified samples of Ralfsia-like crustose brown algae along the coastlines of Korea from 2017 to 2020.…”

“…Currently, 10 species within the Ralfsiales have been reported from Korea (Lee and Kang 1986 , Lee and Kang 2001 , Keum 2010 , Oteng'o and Won 2020 , Oteng'o et al. 2021 ). Although most crustose brown algal species have been known as species of Ralfsia and Neoralfsia based on their morphology (Lee and Kang 1986 , Lee and Kang 2001 , Lee 2008 , Keum 2010 ), Oteng'o et al.…”

Ramipedicella gen. nov. (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae): a new crustose brown algal genus including two species, Ramipedicella miniloba sp. nov. and Ramipedicella longicellularis comb. nov.

“…Polymerase chain reactions were conducted following the protocol for the HelixAmpTM Ready-2x-Go premix (NanoHelix Co., Ltd., Daejeon, Korea). The primers used to amplify rbcL and COI-5P were the same as those used in previous study by Oteng'o et al (2021).…”

“…ML analysis was estimated by the Tamura 3-parameter + Γ + I Berkeley (Lim et al 2007, Silberfeld et al 2014, Parente and Saunders 2019, Guiry and Guiry 2023, Oteng'o et al 2023b. Traditionally, the recognition of genera within Ralfsiaceae has been based on morphological characters such as thallus type, number of sterile cells on plurangia, number of chloroplasts per cell, and the development of unangia (Tanaka and Chihara 1981b, Lim et al 2007, León-Álvarez et al 2017, Oteng'o et al 2021, Parente et al 2021. However, due to the morphological simplicity and external similarities among them, the classification of these genera has been challenging.…”