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The Genus Herposiphonia (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) in the Coral Reefs Environmental Protection Area, Northeastern Brazil, with new records for Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean

2012; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 35; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/s1806-99592012000100011

1806-9959

Ingrid Balesteros Silva, Mutuê T. Fujii,

Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

This paper presents a taxonomic study of taxa of the red algae genus Herposiphonia (Ceramiales) occurring on Maracajaú Reef in the Coral Reefs Environmental Protection Area (CREPA - Área de Proteção Ambiental dos Recifes de Corais) in Rio Grande do Norte State, along the northeastern coast of Brazil. The CREPA comprises coastline and continental shelf areas of the municipalities of Touros, Rio do Fogo, and Maxaranguape and includes sand dunes, coastal lagoons, and the adjacent shoreline and offshore reefs. Detailed morphological studies were made, considering recent taxonomic criteria for species delimitation of Herposiphonia, and five species were identified: H. delicatula, H. nuda, H. parca, H. secunda, and H. tenella, thus increasing the number of species in the genus from three to six. Herposiphonia delicatula and H. parca represent new occurrences for Brazil, and H. nuda is reported for the first time for the Atlantic Ocean.