Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin, 1975

Marletta, Giuliana & Lombardo, Andrea, 2023, The Fucales (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae) of the Island of Pantelleria (Sicily Channel, Mediterranean Sea): a new contribution, Italian Botanist 15, pp. 137-163 : 137

Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin

Fig. 2A, B

Fucus compressus Esper, 1799. Basionym.

Cystoseira filicina Bory, Cystoseira abrotanifolia f. fimbriata Sauvageau, Fucus fimbriatus Desfontaines, 1799, Cystoseira fimbriata Bory, 1832. Synonyms.

Morphology of specimens from Pantelleria.

This species is caespitose, attached to the substrate by a small discoid holdfast, from which several axes, both flattened and cylindrical, are issued, all devoid of spiniform appendages. The apices are tiny, smooth and not sharply protruding. Primary branches are generally flattened at the base, whereas they tend to be cylindrical at the apical parts. They are arranged distichously and alternating. Higher order branches can be flattened or cylindrical. In very sheltered environments this species shows numerous large isolate or grouped aerocysts. During the monitoring activities, this species was found fertile. Tiny lanceolate-fusiform receptacles are occurred in the terminal parts of branches. They were simple or branched and were located at the top of an aerocyst, to which they were connected by a small pedicel.

Habitat.

C. compressa was found in all the inspected sites of the Island of Pantelleria, both during scuba dives and snorkelling activities. It was observed in the upper and middle infralittoral (from 0 to 6 m depth).

Distribution.

This species is distributed in both the Atlantic Ocean (Nord-West Atlantic, Bermuda Islands and Nord-East Atlantic, from the Azores to Cape Verde) and Mediterranean Sea ( Blanfuné et al. 2022).

Remarks.

This species is quite common along the coasts of the island, where it is usually vicariant of E. amentacea .

Figures

Figure 2. Cystoseira compressa A habit B detail of flattened branches with distichous-alternate disposal.