Gracilaria corticata (J. Agardh) J. Agardh, 1852: 602–603

de Clerck, Olivier, Coppejans, Eric, Schils, Tom, Verbruggen, Heroen, Leliaert, Frederik, de Vriese, Thomas & Marie, Daniel, 2004, The marine red algae of Rodrigues (Mauritius, Indian Ocean), Journal of Natural History 38 (23), pp. 3021-3057 : 3027-3029

Gracilaria corticata (J. Agardh) J. Agardh, 1852: 602–603

( figure 1 )

References: Jaasund, 1976: 83, figure 168; Moorjani and Simpson, 1988: 29, pl. 59d.

Type locality. Sri Lanka .

Vouchers. HEC 14627azb, 18 September 2001, western part of Cotton Bay (s.s. 13).

Ecology. Epilithic, mainly on vertical walls of high intertidal pools.

Indian Ocean distribution. Andaman Islands, south-east coast of Arabia, Christmas Island, Djibouti, India, Iran, Kenya, Kuwait, Laccadives, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius (Dickie, 1974: 194; Børgesen, 1943: 71), Nicobar Islands, Oman, Pakistan, Réunion ( Jadin, 1935: 165), Rodrigues (Dickie, 1977:

7), Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Yemen.

Note. The ecology of this species in Rodrigues differs from the situation along the East African coast. In Kenya and Tanzania the species grows mainly epiphytically on stems of the seagrass Thalassodendron ciliatum (Forsskål) den Hartog in shallow sublittoral areas. It can also be found epilithic in pools at

about low water mark. On Rodrigues, on the other hand, G. corticata has only been observed in a few high intertidal rock pools.

Figures

FIGS 1–7. Rhodophytes. (1) Gracilaria corticata (HEC 14627). (2) Renouxia antillana (HEC 14804). (3) Platoma cyclocolpa (HEC 14805). (4) Titanophora pikeana (HEC 14875). (5, 6) Cryptonemia crenulata (HEC 14876): (5) general morphology; (6) serrate margin. (7) Cryptonemia crenulata (HEC 15134b): cross-section showing cortex and medulla with densely stained ganglionic cells. Scale bars: 1 cm (1, 3, 4); 2 cm (2, 5); 5 mm (6); 50 Mm (7).