Rhodenigma contortum, an obscure new genus and species of Rhodogorgonales (Rhodophyta) from Western Australia.
An unknown microscopic, branched filamentous red alga was isolated into culture from coral fragments collected in Coral Bay, Western Australia. It grew well unattached or attached to glass with no reproduction other than fragmentation of filaments. Cells of some branch tips became slightly contorted and digitated, possibly as a substrate-contact-response seen at filament tips of various algae. Attached multicellular compact disks on glass had a very different cellular configuration and size than the free filaments. In culture the filaments did not grow on or in coral fragments. Molecular phylogenies based on four markers (rbcL, cox1, 18S, 28S) clearly showed it belongs to the order Rhodogorgonales, as a sister clade of Renouxia. Based on these results, the alga is described as the new genus and species Rhodenigma contortum in the Rhodogorgonaceae. It had no morphological similarity to either of the other genera in Rhodogorgonaceae and illustrates the unknown diversity in cryptic habitats such as tropical coral rubble.
School of Biosciences 2, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
John A
JA
West
School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
Giuseppe C
GC
Zuccarello
11 Rue des Moguerou, Roscoff, 29680, France.
Susan Loiseaux
SL
de Goër
School of Biosciences 2, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
Lambros A
LA
Stavrias
School of Biosciences 2, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
Heroen
H
Verbruggen
D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D048030:RNA, Algal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014904:Western Australia
D020418:Algal Proteins; D048030:RNA, Algal
18S; 28S; Australia; Coral Bay; Rhodenigma contortum; Rhodogorgonales; Rhodophyta; cox1; molecular phylogeny; psbA; rbcL