Developmental studies in Porphyra vietnamensis: A high-temperature resistant species from the Indian Coast

Abstract

Porphyra vietnamensis Tanaka & Pham-Hoang Ho (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) is a tropical seaweed collected from the west coast of India. Thalli of the blade phase are found growing only during the rainy season between July and September. They grow on rocky intertidal or subtidal substrata or as epiphytes on other seaweeds such as Enteromorpha flexuosa and Chaetomorpha media. The gametophytic thallus is monostromatic and covered with spines at the base. The species is monoecious. Male gametangia are found in patches that are distributed in the upper part of the thallus. Archeospores are found at the thallus margins and give rise to the blade phase after one week of germination even at 30 • C. Zygotospores germinated at 25 • C into conchocelis within three days from the date of their inoculation. Conchospores were released at 30 • C. The young blades grew at 32 • C in the laboratory.