Concise review of genus Chondracanthus (Rhodophyta: Gigartinales)

Abstract

Members of the genus Chondracanthus (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) inhabit the shores of both hemispheres and have been used for decades in some countries as raw material for carrageenan extraction and in some cases destined for human consumption. This has created potential business opportunities, which has drawn the attention of scientists and producers and increased the number of scientific and applied research studies in the last few years. The broad morphological variation of Chondracanthus species makes necessary the use of molecular tools for species delimitation, which has led to the re-grouping and geographic re-distribution of some entities. The present study is a review of the available literature on members of the genus Chondracanthus, with the exception of Chondracanthus teedei, regarding their identity, distribution, ecology, life history, population structure, chemical traits, handling, and culture.