<i>Lessonia berteroana</i> en Perú: Comprobación de la identidad de la especie y diversidad genética en el borde norte de distribución

Abstract

Harvest pressure on brown macroalgae of the Lessonia genus has increased in recent years in Peru and Chile, due to the high demand from the global hydrocolloid industry. After a taxonomic review, in 2012, the intertidal species Lessonia nigrescens was segregated into two species, being L. berteroana distributed in southern Peru and northern Chile (17-30°S). Based on genetic tools we confirm the identification as L. berteroana and report its presence up to 15°23’S. It is recommended to update the status of the species into Peruvian regulations and scientific publications.

Determination of genetic diversity of two Lessonia species from the Atacama region using ISSR markers

“…Among these, L. nigrescens Bory, 1826 and L. trabeculata Villouta & Santelices 1986 stand out as the main artisanal benthic resources in northern Chile, particularly in the Atacama region (Campos et al 2021, Berrios et al 2022. The economic _______________ Associate Editor: Débora Torrealba and social importance of the genus Lessonia in Chile is underscored by its exportation to the hydrocolloid industry (Pérez-Araneda et al 2020). The market demand has grown substantially in the last 15 years, shifting the extractive activity from the collection of dead plants to the intensive extraction of live individuals (Berrios et al 2022).…”

“…The market demand has grown substantially in the last 15 years, shifting the extractive activity from the collection of dead plants to the intensive extraction of live individuals (Berrios et al 2022). Accurate taxonomic identification of this natural resource is crucial to ensure traceability and validation (Pérez-Araneda et al 2020). The discovery of cryptic species is uncommon within marine macroalgae (Tellier et al 2011).…”