(" 26( The Red Alga Polysiphonia Greville K "Put (Rhodomelaceae) from Carrie Bow Cay and Vicinity, Belize Donald F. Kapraun Laboratorro de Fr I andJames N Norris Departamento de e~orog~S Facurta fO·C'gla d de C/enl;.;/as UNAM Several detailed studies of the taxonomy, dis­ ABSTRACT tribution, and geographic variation of Polysiphonia Seven taxa of the red alga Polysiphonia Greville have increased our knowledge of its members. In (Rhodomelaceae; Ceramiales) were found near the Pacific Ocean, studies have covered the coasts Carrie Bow Cay and Twin Cays in the central of North America (Hollenberg, 1942, 1944), in­ region of the Belizean barrier reef. Polysiphonia cluding Mexico (Hollenberg, 1961), and the exilis and P. Jlaccidissima are new records for the northern Gulf of California (Hollenberg and Nor­ Caribbean marine flora, P. atlantica, P. denudata, P. ferulacea, P. scopulorum var. uillum, and P. sphaer­ ris, 1977); Hawaii (Meiiez, 1964); the central and ocarpa are new to Belize. Polysiphonia atlantica is western tropical Pacific (Hollenberg, 1968a, given as a new name for the preoccupied name 1968b); southern Australia (Womersley, 1979); P. macrocarpa Harvey. Most species occur as epi­ and Japan (Segi, 1951). In the Atlantic Ocean, phytes on other algae, commonly on Sargassum work has focused on the coasts of North Carolina and Dictyota. Polysiphonia ferulacea and P. sphaero­ carpa are also found entangled in algal turfs, and and Texas (Kapraun, 1977, 1979); Brazil (Oliv­ P. scopulorum var. inllum also occurs on mangrove eira Filho, 1969); Portugal (Ardre, 1970); and the roots. western Mediterranean (La uret, 1967, 1970). We relied mainly on the following morpholog­ ical features in distinguishing the taxa of Polysi­ phonia: number of pericentral cells ; presence or Introduction absence of cortication; kind and position oforigin of the attachment rhizoids; nature and position Only two species of Polysiphonia Greville (1824) of trichoblasts; and nature of the spermatangial have been recorded previously from Belize (Brit­ branchlets. Material for this study was collected ish Honduras): P. hauanensis Montagne (Taylor, from intertidal and subtidal habitats near Carrie 1935; 1960) and P. scopulorum Harvey (Tsuda and Bow Cay and Twin Cays. These habitats are Dawes, 1974). In our present study of Polysiphonia described and illustrated by Riitzler and Macin­ from Carr~ 130w Cay and vicinity, we report six tyre (herein: 9), Rutzler and Ferraris (herein: additional species and one variety new to the 77) and Norris and Bucher (herein: 167). Spec­ marine flora of Belize. imens, which were obtained by J . Norris (March­ April, 1976), J. Norris and K. Bucher (April Donald F. Kapraun, Department of Biology, University of Norin 1977), and D. Kapraun (March 1978), were Carolina, Wilmington, N. C, 28401.James N. Norm, Department mainly epiphytic on other algae. Collections are of Botany, National Museum uf Natural History, Smithsonian 111S11­ tution, Washington, D.C. 20560. designated as follows : DK for D. F. Kapraun, IN 225 1 9 g 2 • P p • 2 2 5 - 2 3 8 i .!! l ~ ii t z 1 e r , iC • and I. G• ~ a c i n t y r e (cds.) The Atlantic Barrier Uecf Ecosystem at Ca~rie Dow Cay, Delize 1: Structure and Communities. ll~~i~£ -----------Smithsonian -------------Contributions --to ---the ~£i~~££~, 12:xiv + 539 pp. 226 SMITHSON IAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MARINE SCIENCES for J. N . Norris, and KB for K. E. Bucher. The ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.-We wish to thank K . E. prefix initials of the numbers cited correspond to Bucher for assistance in collecting and processing the collector's field notebooks. Reproductive con­ Belizean epiphytes, including Polysiphonia. We are dition is designated by ED for tetrasporangia, 'i' for grateful to G. J. Hollenberg, C. Schneider, and cystocarps, and 0 for sperrnatangia. Specimens E. Menez for their reviews and comments on the studied are deposited in the Algal Collection, manuscript. Finally, we thank D . Nicholson for United States National Herbarium, Smithsonian discussion and review of the nomenclatural re­ In stitution (US). marks, particularly on "P. macrocarpa, " Key to the Species of Polysiphonie from Carrie Bow Cay and Vicinity 1. Pericentral cells 4 (subgenus Oligosiphonia ) . 2 Pericentral cells 5 or more (subgenus Polysiphonias 6 2. Branches arising in th e axil s of trichoblasts . .P. flaccidissima Branches developmentally replacing trichoblasts 3 3. Rhizoids in open connection with pericentral cells 4 Rhizoids cut off from pericentral cells 5 4. Scar cells common in decumbent axes ; trichoblasts In erect filaments branched 1-2 times . .. ... P. atlantica Scar cells absent in decumbent axes; trichoblasts in erect filaments highly branched to several orders . P. scopulorum var. villum 5. Plants small, to 1.5 em tall, and delicate, main filaments less than 100 p.m in diameter; often epiphytic, erect filaments arising from a rhizoidal disc '.. P. sphaerocarpa Plants larger, to 4 em tall, and coarse, decumbent axes to 250 /.Lm in diameter; erect filaments from entangled decumbent branches P. ferulacea 6. Pericentral cells 5 (-6) P. denudata Pericentral cells 8 P. exilis Polysiphonia atlantica, new name TYPE-LOCALITY.-Portstewart; Miltown Mal­ FIGURES 107a- c bay, Ireland. Polysiphonia macrocarpa Harvey in Mackay, 1836:206 [non DISTRIBUTION .-Tropical western Atlantic Polysiphonia macrocarpo (C . Agardh) Spreng el 1827:350].­ (Virgin Islands, Barbados, Curacao, Costa Rica, Collin s and Her vey, 1917: 123.-B¢rgesen , 1918:274, figs. Cuba, Jamaica); temperate eastern Atlantic; In­ 272-276.-Taylor, 1928: 184; 1960:578.-01iveira Filho, dian Ocean. 1977: IS3.-Kapraun, 1977:31 7, figs. 14-21,57; 1979: 107, figs. 10-1 2. SPECIMENS STUDlED.-Twin Cays: IN-6292 DESCRIPTION. - Thalli minute, forming enta n­ (ED), epiphytic on Viva, I In depth, among man­ gled mats to I em tall; erect filaments sparsely groves on E side of eastern half of Twin Cays, 31 subdichotomously branched; branches replacing Mar 1976. trichoblasts in development; pericentral cells 4; REMARKs.-Reluctantly we abandon the name erect filaments arising in unilateral fashion from Polysiphonia macrocarpa Harvey, because it has been prostrate axes; rhizoids remaining in open con­ widely applied to this neotropical species. Re­ nection with pericentral cells. Tetrasporangia in cently, Womersley (1979:471 ) noted that P. ma­ long straight series in the branch tips. crocarpa Harvey in Mackay (1836) is a later hom­ NUMBER 12 227 FIGURE 107.-Polysiphonia atlantica: a, rhizoids in open connection with pericentral cells UN­ 6292); b, prostrate axis with unilateral development of erect filaments UN-6292) ; c, tetraspor­ angia in long straight series UN-6292). Polysiphonia denudata : d, rhizoids cut off at or near the end of pericentral cells (IN-6805)j e, branch arising in axil of trichoblast (IN-6805); J, mature pericarp UN-6805). 228 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIB UTI ONS TO THE MARINE SCIENCES onym of P. macrocarpa (C. Agardh) Sprengel coming decumbent in old er parts and attached (1827: 350) [basionym: Hutchinsia macrocarpa C. to the substratum; rhizoids cut off at or near the Agardh, 1824: 157]. Pending further studies, we end of pericentral cells; peric entral cells 5 (- 6); propose a new name, P. atlantica Kapraun and J. branches arising in axils of trichoblasts. Pericarps Norris, for Harvey's taxon. Parke and Dixon spherical , 200-250 p.m in diameter. (1976:537) pointed out that this taxon is in need TYPE-LocALlTy.-Southhampton, England. oftaxonomic and nomenclatural re-investigation. DISTRIBUTloN.-Atiantic: North America, Car­ In this treatment we follow Bergesen (1918), ibbean (Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Ardre (1970), and Kapraun (1977, 1979) in their Netherland Antilles, Colombia), England, Por­ interpretation of P. macrocarpa Harvey. Reported tugal. Mediterranean. elsewhere in the Caribbean as P. macrocarpa (for SPECIMENS STUDlED.-Carrie Bow Cay: IN­ instance, Taylor, 1960), the occurrence of this 6686 (ED), epiphytic on Stypopodium zonale, 20-23 taxon in Belize is not surprising. m depth, fore reef slope, 27 Apr 1977; IN-6805 Polysiphonia macrocarpa (C. Agardh) Sprengel (ct, E9), 18 m depth, outer ridge of fore reef, legit (1827) may well be an overlooked name for one IN and KB, 27 Apr 1977; IN-6842a (ED), epiphy­ of the several taxa described or reported in the tic on Dictyota, 10 m depth, spur and groove zon e Caribbean. Hutchinsia macrocarpa C. Agardh of inner fore reef, legit IN and KB , 29 Apr 1977. (1824) was or iginally described "In mari Antil­ REMARKS.-The publication date of Dillwyn 's larum, 'Port au Pray'." It is interesting that for British Conferuae , in which Conferua denudata was other taxa in his Systema algarum , C. Agardh latin­ first validly published, has been the subject of ized localities, yet for II. macrocarpa he placed debate. We follow Dixon 's (1960:309 , 317) inter­ Port au Pray in quotation marks, leaving it in pretation that publication date of the work is French form . By not using Latin for its locality, probably the late autumn (?) of 1809. he may have wished to suggest something was Apparently a physiologically tolerant species, wrong with the local ity name. Could it be Port Polysiphonia denuda occurs in North American and de Pa ix or Port au Prince (H aiti)? The type Eu rop ean temperate wat ers (Taylor, 1962; Pa rke specimen (probably locat ed at the Botanical Mu­ and Dixon , 1976), as well as in th e American seum Lund) should be re-examined to determine tropi cs. th e identity of this taxon, and compared to those taxa recorded from the Caribbean. Polysiphonia exilis Harvey FIGURE 108 Polysiphonia denudata (Dillwyn) Greville ex Harvey Polysiphonia exilis Harvey, 1853:47.-Howe, 1920:570 .- T ay­ lor, 1928:183; 1960:58 1-Hollenberg, 1968b:200, figs. Ie, F IGUR E 10 7d-J 3e.-O liveir a Filh o, 1977: 151. ConJerva denudata Dillwyn 1809:85. DESCRIPTION .- Thalli dark brown, with an ex­ Polysiphonia denudata (Dillwyn) Greville ex Har vey in W .