Molecular diversity and morphology of the genus Actinotrichia (Galaxauraceae, Rhodophyta) from the western Pacific, with a new record of A. robusta in the Andaman Sea

Abstract

Actinotrichia is a calcified galaxauracean red algal genus with temperate and tropical distributions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Morphological characteristics, along with rbcL and cox1 sequences, were analyzed from specimens collected in the western Pacific and the Indian Oceans. Both rbcL and cox1 data confirmed the occurrence of A. fragilis, A. robusta, and Actinotrichia sp. in this region. The presence of A. fragilis was verified in tropical Indo-Pacific and temperate northeast Asian waters and was characterized by high genetic diversity. Although A. robusta commonly occurs in the East China Sea, we confirmed its presence on rocks and crustose algae in the subtidal zone of three islands in the Andaman Sea. Actinotrichia sp. was similar to A. calcea in morphology and distribution, but with sufficiently different sequences, thus, additional sampling over the range will enable a more realistic evaluation of its taxonomic status. © The Korean Society of Phycology.