Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Symposium on Marine

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