Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine
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Table 6 - Mean values <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> vegetative characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Batophora sp. from Torre Borraco. Ranges reported<br />
for B. occidentalis and B. oerstedii by Berger and Kaever (1992), by Gomez-Poot et al. (2002) and for<br />
Dasycladus vermicularis from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> I<strong>on</strong>ian Sea have been included for comparative purposes. Unavailable<br />
measurements are indicated with a dash.<br />
Apulian Apulian Berger & Gomez-Poot Berger & Gomezsamples<br />
samples Kaever et al. Kaever Poot et al.<br />
Height (cm) 2-6 5-6 2-4 3.7 4-14 3.9<br />
Axis width<br />
(mm) 2-3 0.50 - 0.54 - 0.52<br />
Width <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
plant (mm) 5 3 2-4 4.31 6-13 4.58<br />
Internodal<br />
distance<br />
(mm)<br />
Branching<br />
< 0.50 1 1.6 0.74 2.1 0.58<br />
order 3rd 4th-5th 5th-7th - 5th-7th -<br />
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS<br />
Gelidiella sp. is similar to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> G. tenuissima and to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Atlantic<br />
G. tinerfensis Seoane-Camba in habit and habitat respectively. Compared to<br />
G. tenuissima, Gelidiella sp. has a larger thallus and different organisati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
tetrasporangial sori. G. tinerfensis differs from Gelidiella sp. in that it bears more<br />
tetrasporangia per tier and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir stichidia are very <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten branched. The peculiar characters<br />
observed in Gelidiella sp. such as shape and arrangement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> outer cortical cells and<br />
number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tetrasporangia per tier are c<strong>on</strong>vincing enough to establish a new species.<br />
The permanently sterile state <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Apulian Batophora sp. that has been m<strong>on</strong>itored for<br />
three years created many diagnostic difficulties. The attributi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Apulian<br />
dasycladalean plants to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> genus Batophora is supported by distinct features. On <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
c<strong>on</strong>trary, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> attributi<strong>on</strong> to a known species is not possible with certainty <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> basis<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> vegetative characters, even though, according to Berger (pers. comm.); our<br />
specimens are more similar to B. occidentalis. At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> moment it is difficult to advance<br />
any hypo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>sis <strong>on</strong> ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> period or means <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> introducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this tropical genus into<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mediterranean</str<strong>on</strong>g> basin or <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sterility <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> our populati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
ACTES DU DEUXIEME SYMPOSIUM MEDITERRANEEN SUR LA VEGETATION MARINE (ATHENES, 12-13 DECEMBRE 2003)<br />
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