Cladophora prolifera (Roth) Kützing (1843a: 271)

Gestinari, Lísia Mônica De Souza, Pereira, Sonia Maria Barreto & Yoneshigue-Valentin, Yocie, 2010, Distribution of Cladophora Species (Cladophorales, Chlorophyta) along the Brazilian Coast, Phytotaxa 14, pp. 22-42 : 32-35

7. Cladophora prolifera (Roth) Kützing (1843a: 271) . Map 1 ; Figs. 3A–C

Conferva prolifera Roth (1797: 182) .

Thalli dark green to dark brown forming stiff dense tufts up to (4.0 –) 6.0 (– 9.0) cm high (sometimes reaching 60 cm in height), attached to the substrate by rhizoids with annular constrictions that sprouted from old cells in basal regions of the main axes. Terminal branches with dense ramification inserted on the distal or subapical portion of the cell. Apical cells cylindrical or slightly tapered with rounded tips. Apical cells measuring (123 –) 146 (– 170) µm wide and (588 –) 802 (– 1116) µm long, with L/W ratio of (4 –) 5 (– 7). Ultimate branch cells(139 –) 165 (– 199) µm wide and (544 –) 689 (– 907) µm long, with L/W ratio of (3 –) 4 (– 6). Main axis cells (215 –) 268 (– 328) µm wide and (1824 –) 2685 (– 3770) µm long, with L/W ratio of (7 –) 10 (– 15). Fertile specimens were collected from Pititinga Beach (RN) and Enseada dos Corais Beach (PE).

Representative specimens examined: BRAZIL: Piauí: Luís Corrêa , 14 May 1999, Batista ( PEUFR 30638 ) ; Praia de Maramar , 14 May 1999, Batista ( PEUFR 30630 ) ; Cajueiro da Praia, Praia da Barra Grande , 16 May 1999, Batista ( PEUFR 30626 ) ; Ceará: Caucaia, Praia do Pacheco , 29 Jan. 2002, Xavier et al. ( PEUFR 42589 ) ; Rio Grande do Norte: Pititinga, Praia de Pititinga , Jan. 2002, Soriano ( PEUFR 42590 ) ; Búzios, Praia de Búzios , 20 Jan. 1981, Araújo ( PEUFR 4911 ) ; Paraíba: João Pessoa, Ponta do Cabo Branco , 07 Oct. 2002, Gestinari & Kanagawa ( PEUFR 42591 ) ; 08 Oct. 2002, Gestinari & Kanagawa ( PEUFR 42592 ) ; Pernambuco: Recife, Praia de Boa Viagem , 30 Sept. 2000, Gestinari & Torres ( PEUFR 42593 ) ; 23 Jun 2001, Gestinari & Torres ( PEUFR 42595 ) ; Ipojuca, Praia de Serrambi , 12 Dec. 2001, Gestinari & Torres ( PEUFR 42607 ) ; Alagoas: Maceió, Praia das Sereias , 04 Oct. 2002, Gestinari & Guedes ( PEUFR) ; Bahia: Uruçuca, Praia de Serra Grande , 05 Oct. 1995, Nunes et al. ( ALCB 53336 ) ; Ilhéus, Praia do Olivenço , 23 Nov. 1995, Nunes et al. ( ALCB 49398 ) ; Praia do Gravatá , 25 Aug. 2000, Nunes et al. ( ALCB 53340 ) ; Conde, Praia do Sítio do Conde , 04 Jul. 1997, Nunes et al. ( ALCB 53338 ) ; Espírito Santo: Serra, Manguinhos, Praia da Baleia , 20 Aug. 1986, Guimarães et al. ( PEUFR 42610 ) ; Nova Aldeia, Praia da Capuba , 30 Jun. 1992, Guimarães et al. ( PEUFR 42611 ) ; Aracruz, Praia de Portocel , 19 Aug. 1986, Guimarães et al. ( PEUFR 42612 ) ; 29/VI/2000, Nassar et al. ( PEUFR 42614 ) ; 30 Jun. 2000, Nassar et al. ( PEUFR 42615 ) ; Guarapari, Praia de Setiba , 19 May 2000, Nassar ( PEUFR 42622 ) ; Rio de Janeiro: Búzios, Praia Rasa , 09 Jan. 2001, Gestinari & Torres ( PEUFR 42623 ) ; Cabo Frio, Praia das Conchas , 10 Jan. 2001, Gestinari & Torres ( PEUFR 42624 , 42625 ) ; São Paulo: Ubatuba, Praia Vermelha do Norte , 19 Aug. 1962, Joly ( SP 96391 ) ; São Vicente, Ilha Porchat , 01 May 1950, Joly ( SPF 295 ) ; Paraná: Paranaguá, Ilha do Mel, Ponta do Morro do Meio , 14 May 1988, Shirata & Kawata ( HUCP 986 ) ; Gestinari & Shirata ( PEUFR 42627 ) ; Caiobá, Ilha do Farol , 06 Jun. 2001, Gestinari & Shirata ( PEUFR 42626 ) ; Santa Catarina: Ilha Anhatomirin , 27 Jan. 1982, Cordeiro-Marino et al. ( FLOR 14192 ; 14193; 14194; 14195; 14196) ; Bombinhas, Praia da Lagoinha , 10 Nov. 1996, Shirata ( HUCP 9601 ) ; Rio Grande do Sul: Torres, Pedras do Morro do Farol , 28 May 2001, Gestinari & Baptista ( PEUFR 42628 ) .

Comments: Epilithic tufts were collected along rocky shores from crevices of the rock and from loose large stones (PI, ES, RJ, PR, SC), from intertidal pools (CE, RS) and from the midlittoral zone on the frontal area of sandstone reefs (RN, PB, PE, AL, BA). They were usually found as epiphytes on Sargassum sp. , Cryptonemia seminervis , Bryothamnion seaforthii , Gelidium pusillum and Jania adhaerens . Cladophora prolifera was the host to many epiphytes, such as Ulva compressa Linnaeus (1753: 1163) , U. flexuosa , U. linza Linnaeus (1753: 1163) , U. lactuca Linnaeus (1753: 1163) , Chaetomorpha aerea , Cladophora montagneana , Bryopsis sp. , Pneophyllum fragille , Hypnea musciformis , Acrothamnion butlerae , Centroceras sp. , Ceramium brasiliense , Gayliella flaccida , Griffithsia schousboei Montagne in P.B. Webb (1839: 11), Tiffaniella gorgonea (Montagne) Doty & Meñez (1960: 1380 , Heterosiphonia crispella (C.Agardh) Wynne (1985: 87) and many diatoms and cyanobacteria.

Cladophora prolifera was distributed along the entire coast, from Piauí to Rio Grande do Sul. The presence of rhizoids with annular constriction is characteristic of C. prolifera , which is a very common species along the Brazilian coast. Changes in environmental conditions do not cause variation in the thallus architecture of this species, making it easily recognized in the field. The examined specimens did not show broad variations in apical cell width, although there was variation in apical cell length along the Brazilian coast. On the other hand, we observed large variation in thallus height. This variation was greatest along the Piauí coast (shallow sites), suggesting that local environmental conditions may enhance the growth of these thalli, since in exposed sites, such the beaches in Petitinga (RN), Gaibu (PE) and Rasa (RJ), the specimens were shorter, thinner and with more resistant rhizoids. Norton et al. (1981) and Lobban & Harrison (1997) had previously noted this morphological modification. In contrast, the thalli from the Parnaiba delta were taller, reaching 60 cm in height (M.G. Batista, pers. comm.).

The specimens mostly matched literature descriptions ( Taylor 1960; Joly 1965; Hoek 1963 & 1982; Lawson & John 1982; Hoek & Womersley 1984; Burrows 1991; Hoek & Chihara 2000). However, the 60 cm high specimens from Piauí greatly exceed the highest value previously recorded in the literature (25 cm).

Molecular phylogentic studies reveal that C. prolifera is placed in the Siphonocladales-clade, along with a number of other Cladophora species , including C. aokii , C. coelothrix , C. socialis , C. liebetruthii , C. catenata and C. sibogae ( Bakker et al. 1994, Leliaert et al. 2003, Brodie et al. 2007) and according to Leliaert et al. (2003) is closely related to the Japanese C. aokii .

Cladophora prolifera is widely distributed in tropical and warm-temperate seas, both in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as in the Indian Ocean ( Taylor 1960; Hoek 1963 & 1982; Hoek & Womersley 1984; Silva et al. 1996). However, this species seems to be rare on the coast of Japan ( Hoek & Chihara 2000). This is the first record from Piauí and Alagoas.

Figures

MAP 1. Distribution map of the species of the genus Cladophora along the Brazilian coast.

FIGURE 3. Species of Cladophora from the coast of Brasil. A–C. C. prolifera. A, detail of the apical portion of the thallus; B, basal region of the thallus, showing rhizoids with annular constrictions (reef plateau pool from Boa Viagem Beach—PE); C. detail of the terminal branch bearing fertile cells (collected from Enseada dos Corais Beach—PE). D–F, C. rupestris. D, detail of a filament of the tuft, showing its apical region (Boa Viagem Beach—PE); E, detail of the basal region of the thallus; F, detail of the mid-region of the thallus (Boa Viagem Island—Niterói, RJ).