Undiscovered foliose species of Florideophyceae (Rhodophyta) from subtidal habitat along the Korean coastline

Abstract

Advanced molecular approaches and continuous surveys in subtidal areas have contributed to improvements in red algal diversity, especially Gigartinales, Halymeniales, and Rhodymeniales. With deep subtidal collection along the Korean coast and molecular analyses in the plastid rbcL region, we resolved three new florideophycean species and a new record of Korean macroalgal list: Chrysymenia barimifolia sp. nov. in Rhodymeniales; Galene scutae sp. nov. in Halymeniales; and Psaromenia stipitata sp. nov. and Turnerella pennyi in Gigartinales. C. barimifolia sp. nov., which is monophyly supported strongly in the phylogenetic analysis, has an iridescent blade in natural habitat uniquely. G. scutae sp. nov. is singly grown and has thin and stiff blades arising from a very short and cylindrical stipe without midrib. P. stipitata sp. nov. has a single, erect, foliose, and membranous blade with pink color. Finally, Korean T. pennyi specimens form a clade with specimens from the species type locality, the Arctic region of Canada, with 1.8% genetic divergence. These four new members from deep subtidal enrich our knowledge of Korean macroalgal flora and help us to understand the vertical distribution of red algal species along Korean coastlines expanded.

Keywords

• biodiversity
• Chrysymenia barimifolia sp. nov.
• Galene scutae sp. nov.
• Korean coastline
• Psaromenia stipitata sp. nov.
• rbcL phylogeny