CERAMIACEAE, Dumortier, 1822

Mead, A., Carlton, J. T., Griffiths, C. L. & Rius, M., 2011, Introduced and cryptogenic marine and estuarine species of South Africa, Journal of Natural History 45 (39 - 40), pp. 2463-2524 : 2508-2509

Family CERAMIACEAE

Antithamnionella ternifolia (Hooker and Harvey, 1845) Cryptogenic (= A. tasmanica Wollaston, 1968 )

This southern hemisphere ( Eno et al. 1997) alga was first described from the tip of South America, much later recorded from Australia ( Silva et al. 1996, as Antithamnionella tasmanica ), later still from New Zealand ( Nelson and Maggs 1996) and then recorded from South Africa ( Stegenga et al. 1997). It was introduced to Europe in the early 1900s ( Eno et al. 1997), where it is a well-known invader. It is also considered to be a ship-borne introduction to New Zealand ( Nelson and Maggs 1996). Given its propensity to be distributed by ship fouling, but pending genetic resolution of the relationship between Australian, South African and Chilean populations, we consider it cryptogenic. Stegenga et al. (1997, as Antithamnionella tasmanica ) recorded it “growing on animal substrates ( Pyura , Lepas , soft coral) and on other algae... washed ashore between Kalk Bay and the Kowie.”

Antithamnionella spirographidis (Schiffner, 1916) Introduction

This North Pacific alga ( Lindstrom and Gabrielson 1989) has been introduced to Europe ( Eno et al. 1997), Australia ( Wollaston 1968), and elsewhere. In South Africa it was recorded by Stegenga et al. (1997) only “in the very sheltered sublittoral of Kraalbaai, growing on wooden jetty posts.” The date of collection of this material is 1989 (R. Anderson, personal communication, August 2009). It is now also known from Kowie Estuary, based upon specimens collected in 2003 (R. Anderson, personal communication). We regard it as a ship-fouling introduction, probably via Australasia rather than directly from the North Pacific.