The National Marine Biological Analytical Quality Control Scheme www.nmbaqcs.org Ring Test Bulletin – RM RT08 Dr Emma Wells Wells Marine Surveys April 2014 Email: [email protected] RING TEST DETAILS Ring Test – RM RT08 Type/Contents – Rockyshore Intertidal macroalgae identification Circulated – 4th February 2014 Completion Date – 28th March 2014 Number of Subscribing Laboratories – 8 Number of Participating Laboratories – 6 Number of Results Received – 11 Table 1: Summary of Differences Total differences for 11 returns Specimen Genera Species Genus Species RT0801 Desmarestia viridis 6 8 RT0802 Ulva rigida 0 0 RT0803 Cystoclonium purpureum 0 0 RT0804 Elachista flaccida 3 3 RT0805 Eudesme virescens 3 4 RT0806 Mastocarpus stellatus 0 0 RT0807 Ascophyllum nodosum 0 0 RT0808 Bryopsis plumosa 0 0 RT0809 Delesseria sanguinea 4 4 RT0810 Osmundea osmunda 0 8 RT0811 Asperococcus fistulosus 0 1 RT0812 Ceramium gaditanum 0 6 RT0813 Laminaria hyperborea 0 0 RT0814 Boergeseniella thyoides 9 11 RT0815 Dumontia contorta 1 1 RT0816 Petalonia fascia 7 7 RT0817 Gelidium corneum 6 7 RT0818 Spongonema tomentosum 0 0 RT0819 Ulothrix flacca 1 8 RT0820 Gastroclonium ovatum 0 0 Total differences 40 68 Average differences per Genus/ species 2.000 3.400 Identification of species RT0817 was accepted as either Gelidium corneum or its synonym G. sesquipedale. Gelidium is the most speciose genus in the family Gelidiaceae that currently includes 134 species (Boo et al, 2014 and Guiry and Guiry, 2013). Its species have been primarily described and characterised on the basis of external morphology which is quite variable within the group. In addition many of these names are based on a few herbarium specimens barely representing the range of morphological variation of the species. Therefore Gelidium has become one of the most nomenclaturally and taxonomically confused genera of the Rhodophyta (Santelices, 1988). European species of Gelidium have been especially problematic. Feldmann & Hamel (1936) in their monograph of the genus in Europe recognized ten species, each often containing two or more varieties. The most recent treatment of Gelidium in Great Britain (Dixon & Irvine 1977), suggested that most species represented environmental variants and combined five of Feldmann & Hamel's species into two species aggregates, G. latifolium (Greville) Bornet et Thuret and G. pusillurn (Stackhouse) Le Jolis (Waterman and Rueness, 1994). With this is mind it has been decided that since there can be no conclusive evidence to determine the exact identification of Species 17 that both Gelidium corneum (sesquipedale) and Gelidium pulchellum shall be accepted. Table 2: The identification of intertidal macroalgae made by participating laboratories for RM RT08 (arranged by specimen). Names are given where different from the AQC identification, misspelt identifications, synonyms or acceptable alternate identifications are denoted by brackets [ ]. Desmarestia Cystoclonium Eudesme Mastocarpus Ascophyllum Delesseria Osmundea Lab Code Ulva rigida Elachista flaccida Bryopsis plumosa viridis purpureum virescens stellatus nodosum sanguinea osmunda Gracilaria Sphacelaria Helminthora _ _ _ _ _ Phycodrys rubens − pinnatifida MA2114 gracilis cirrosa divaricata − aculeata _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phycodrys rubens _ MA2110 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ − pinnatifida MA2103a Rhodomela _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ − pinnatifida MA2103b confervoides Gracilaria _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MA2103c verrucosa Rhodomela _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MA2103d confervoides _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ − pinnatifida MA2103e Erythrotrichia Dudresnaya − aculeata _ _ _ _ _ _ − hybrida MA2121 carnea verticillata Chordaria [virridis] _ _ _ _ _ _ Phycodrys rubens − pinnatifida MA2131a flagelliformis Dictyosiphon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Phycodrys rubens − pinnatifida MA2131b foeniculaceus Chordaria _ _ Chordariacea Eudesme − _ _ _ _ − pinnatifida MA2112 flagelliformis Table 2 continued Lab Code Asperococcus Ceramium Laminaria Boergeseniella Dumontia Gelidium Spongonema Gastroclonium fistulosus gaditanum hyperborea thyoides contorta Petalonia fascia corneum tomentosum Ulothrix flacca ovatum Chondria _ − virgatum _ − fructiculosa _ _ _ − implexa _ MA2114 dasyphylla Pterosiphonia Pterocladiella _ − virgatum _ _ _ _ _ MA2110 complanata capillacea Pterosiphonia Punctaria _ _ _ _ _ _ − speciosa [Gstrocolonium] MA2103a complanata plantaginea Pterosiphonia Punctaria − compressus − nodulosum _ _ [− pulchelllum] _ − speciosa _ MA2103b complanata plantaginea Pterosiphonia Punctaria _ _ _ _ [− pulchelllum] _ − speciosa _ MA2103c complanata latifolia Pterosiphonia Punctaria − latifolium/ _ − nodulosum _ _ _ − speciosa _ MA2103d complanata plantaginea spinosum _ _ _ − fructiculosa _ _ _ _ _ MA2103e Pterosiphonia Pterocladia _ − nodulosum _ _ _ _ − speciosa _ MA2121 complanata capillacea Pterosiphonia Nemalion Saccharina Pterocladiella Urospora _ _ _ _ _ MA2131a complanata helminthoides latissima capillacea penicilliformis Pterosiphonia Saccharina Pterocladiella _ Ceramium − _ [cortorta] _ Ulothrix − _ MA2131b complanata latissima capillacea Pterosiphonia Asperococcus Pterocladiella _ _ _ _ _ _ MA2112 complanata compressus capillacea 10 9 8 7 6 Genus 5 Species 4 3 2 1 0 MA2112 MA2110 MA2121 MA2114 MA2103c MA2103a MA2131a MA2103e MA2103d MA2103b MA2131b Figure 1: The number of differences from the AQC identification of intertidal macroalgae specimens, for each of the participating laboratories for RT08, arranged in order of increasing number of differences. Detailed breakdown of specimen identifications RT0801 – Desmarestia viridis (Figure 2a) Six generic and eight specific differences recorded: Labs 10 and 21 identified as D. aculeata (Figure 2b) (this has regular opposite branching and is generally less densely branched). Lab 14 identified as Gracilaria gracilis and Lab 03c identified as Graciliaria verrucosa (Figures 2c and 2d) (these are Rhodophyta species and therefore red in colour, they are also much more coarsely branched with a thicker frond diameter and fewer short lateral branches). Fig. 2a. Desmarestia viridis (RT0801) Labs 03b and 03d identified as Rhodomela confervoides (Figure 2e) (this is also a Rhodophyta species which has much shorter, denser branching close to the main axis appearing bushier and coarser). Lab 31a identified as Dictyosiphon foeniculaceus (Figure 2f) (this has a less distinct main axis and lacks the multiple feathery lateral branches). And lab 31b identified as Chordaria flagelliformis (Figure 2g) (this is darker in colour and has far fewer lateral branches which also tend to be thicker in diameter). It is also worth noting that D. viridis can be highly variable when young though. Lab 12 incorrectly spelt the species name. Fig. 2b. Desmarestia aculeata Fig. 2c. Gracilaria gracilis Fig. 2d. Gracilaria verrucosa Fig. 2e. Rhodomela confervoides Fig. 2f. Dictyosiphon foeniculaceus Fig. 2g. Chordaria flagelliformis RT0802 – Ulva rigida (Figure 3) No generic and no specific differences recorded. Fig. 3. Ulva rigida (RT0802) RT0803 – Cystoclonium purpureum (Figure 4) No generic and no specific differences recorded. Fig. 4. Cystoclonium purpureum (RT0803) RT0804 – Elachista flaccida (Figure 5a) Three generic and three specific difference: Lab 14 identified as Sphacelaria cirrosa (Figure 5b) (this species is not uniseriate throughout as with Elachista and consistently ends in a large apical cell not found in Elachista sp.). Lab 21 identified as Erythrotrichia carnea (Figure 5c) (this is a Rhodophyta species and is red in colour with a stellate chloroplast). Lab 31b identified to Family level only, Chordariacea. Fig. 5a. Elachista flaccida (RT0804) Fig. 5b. Sphacelaria cirrosa Fig. 5c. Erythrotrichia carnea RT0805 – Eudesme virescens (Figure 6a) Three generic and 4 specific differences: Lab 12 only identified to Genus level. Lab 14 identified as Helminthora divaricata (Figure 6b and c) (this is a Rhodophyta species, it is much more densely clothed in lateral branches with a microscopic structure consisting of highly branched filaments). Lab 21 identified as Dudresnaya verticillata (Figure 6d) (this is also a Rhodophyta species similar Helminthora which is densely clothed in highly branched filaments often giving a slightly banded and fluffy appearance). Lab 31a identified as Chordaria flagelliformis (Figure 6e) (this has coarser, long, whip like, solid fronds and less gelatinous in appearance). Fig. 6a. Eudesme virescens (RT0805) Fig. 6b. Helminthora divaricata. Fig. 6c. Helminthora divaricata microscopic filamentous structure Fig. 6d. Dudresnaya verticillata Fig. 6e. Chordaria flagelliformis RT0806 – Mastocarpus stellatus (Figure 7) No generic and no specific differences recorded. Fig. 7. Mastocarpus stellatus (RT0806) RT0807 – Ascophyllum nodosum (Figure 8) No generic and no specific differences recorded. Fig. 8. Ascophyllum nodosum (RT0807) RT0808 – Bryopsis plumosa (Figure 9) No generic and no specific differences recorded. Fig. 9. Bryopsis plumosa (RT0808) RT0809 – Delesseria sanguinea (Figure 10a) Four generic and four specific differences: Labs 14, 10, 31a and 31b identified as Phycodrys rubens (Figure 10b) (this species has distinct ruffled or toothed margins unlike the entire margins of Delesseria). With both species there can be varying degrees of variation in leaf shape so it is necessary to look at the overall shape from all photos provided. Fig. 10a. Delesseria sanguinea (RT0809) Fig. 10b. Phycodrys rubens RT0810 – Osmundea osmunda (Figure 11a) No generic and eight specific differences: Labs 14, 03a, 03b, 03e, 31a, 31b and 12 identified as O. pinnatifida