Primary species recognition and phylogeny of Chondrus (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) using 18S rDNA sequence data

The nuclear-encoded small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (18S rDNA) of 16 isolates of Chondrus from 8 countries were sequenced. A total of 1796 nucleotides were obtained and aligned with the phylogenetic analysis conducted. The results suggest that the entity from Dalian, China, regarded as C. sp1 is C. pinnulatus. The C. sp2 previously depicted as C. yendoi or Mazzaella japonica may belong to genus Chondrus. So, 4 Chondrus species, i.e. C. ocellatus, C. nipponicus, C. armatus, and C. pinnulatus are distributed in China. However, the entity from Connemara, Ireland, named C. crispus, is not a Chondrus species but that of Mastocarpus stellatus, although it is morphologically similar to C. crispus. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete 18S rDNA sequence data shows that genus Chondrus includes 3 main lineages: the Northern Pacific lineage, containing C. ocellatus, C. yendoi, and C. nipponicus; C. armatus, and C. pinnulatus form the sub-North Pacific lineage; and the Northern Atlantic Ocean lineage, comprising samples of C. crispus from Canada, Portugal, Ireland, Germany and France. The phylogenetic relationships indicate that genus Chondrus might have a North Pacific ancestral origin, radiated to North Atlantic area, and then formed the species C. crispus.