Laurencia mediterranea sp. nov. (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from the central Mediterranean Sea

Angela Bartolo; Gabrielle Zammit; Eleni Kytinou; Frithjof Kuepper

doi:10.1515/bot-2023-0028

Laurencia mediterranea sp. nov. (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from the central Mediterranean Sea

Angela Bartolo^* (Corresponding Author), Gabrielle Zammit, Eleni Kytinou, Frithjof Kuepper

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

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Abstract

The identification of macroalgal species within the Laurencia complex is challenging, due to the presence of inconspicuous morphological characters, extensive variation in these traits and a diverse biogeography. Moreover, for a number of these species, no DNA sequence data are available in online databases. For this study, five algal specimens, tentatively assigned to Laurencia, were collected from Malta in the central Mediterranean Sea and studied using an integrative systematics approach. An analysis of the data resulted in the description of a new species, Laurencia mediterranea using combined morphological and molecular criteria, including COI-5P and rbcL. Morphologically L. mediterranea sp. nov. was distinct from other Laurencia spp. in the type of holdfast, the colour and shape of the thallus, the presence of secondary pit connections, lenticular thickenings and ‘corps en cerise’. Moreover, a new genetic species cluster indicated a separate taxon at the species level. Our study demonstrates that genetic sequences having clear links to sample metadata and digital herbaria are indispensable for macroalgal biodiversity research. This approach could offer a solution for algal taxonomy in cases where biogeography is important and limited sequence data exist in online DNA libraries.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	507-519
Number of pages	13
Journal	Botanica Marina
Volume	66
Issue number	6
Early online date	7 Nov 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2023-0028
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
This research was funded by an award to GZ (grant REP-2022-001), for the Project ‘GreASE’, financed by the Malta Council for Science & Technology, for and on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology, through the FUSION: R&I Research Excellence Programme’. AGB was supported by the ENDEAVOUR Scholarship Scheme (Malta)- Group B – National Funds. FCK would like to acknowledge the TOTAL Foundation (Paris) and the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland), which is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011).

Keywords

algal biodiversity
DNA barcoding
herbarium
Laurencia
Malta

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Accepted author manuscript, 315 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Laurencia mediterranea sp. nov. (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from the central Mediterranean Sea",

abstract = "The identification of macroalgal species within the Laurencia complex is challenging, due to the presence of inconspicuous morphological characters, extensive variation in these traits and a diverse biogeography. Moreover, for a number of these species, no DNA sequence data are available in online databases. For this study, five algal specimens, tentatively assigned to Laurencia, were collected from Malta in the central Mediterranean Sea and studied using an integrative systematics approach. An analysis of the data resulted in the description of a new species, Laurencia mediterranea using combined morphological and molecular criteria, including COI-5P and rbcL. Morphologically L. mediterranea sp. nov. was distinct from other Laurencia spp. in the type of holdfast, the colour and shape of the thallus, the presence of secondary pit connections, lenticular thickenings and {\textquoteleft}corps en cerise{\textquoteright}. Moreover, a new genetic species cluster indicated a separate taxon at the species level. Our study demonstrates that genetic sequences having clear links to sample metadata and digital herbaria are indispensable for macroalgal biodiversity research. This approach could offer a solution for algal taxonomy in cases where biogeography is important and limited sequence data exist in online DNA libraries.",

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N2 - The identification of macroalgal species within the Laurencia complex is challenging, due to the presence of inconspicuous morphological characters, extensive variation in these traits and a diverse biogeography. Moreover, for a number of these species, no DNA sequence data are available in online databases. For this study, five algal specimens, tentatively assigned to Laurencia, were collected from Malta in the central Mediterranean Sea and studied using an integrative systematics approach. An analysis of the data resulted in the description of a new species, Laurencia mediterranea using combined morphological and molecular criteria, including COI-5P and rbcL. Morphologically L. mediterranea sp. nov. was distinct from other Laurencia spp. in the type of holdfast, the colour and shape of the thallus, the presence of secondary pit connections, lenticular thickenings and ‘corps en cerise’. Moreover, a new genetic species cluster indicated a separate taxon at the species level. Our study demonstrates that genetic sequences having clear links to sample metadata and digital herbaria are indispensable for macroalgal biodiversity research. This approach could offer a solution for algal taxonomy in cases where biogeography is important and limited sequence data exist in online DNA libraries.

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Laurencia mediterranea sp. nov. (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from the central Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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