Molecular analyses for identification of the Gracilariaceae (Rhodophyta) from the Asia - pacific region
2015
Yang, M.Y., Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea | Kim, M.S., Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
The family Gracilariaceae contains economically important seaweeds and is well known as a difficult group for the species identification due to its high species diversity and uncertainty of species limits. To date, molecular studies of the Gracilariaceae in the Asia - pacific region have been insufficient to determine the distribution and diversity of species. To acquire a better understanding of the species boundary and species diversity, we analyzed mitochondrial COI as DNA barcoding marker and plastid rbcL genes for specimens from the Asia - pacific region. A total of 22 species has been recognized as a distinct entity including five unidentified and two new distribution records. COI sequence data showed more variation than rbcL data, enabling the clear discrimination of species. The range of intra- and inter-specific divergence for COI was 0 - 2.6 % (except 4.4 %) and 2.8 - 15.7 %, respectively. RbcL data showed the interspecific divergences ranged from 1.1 to 14.8 % and divided into two large clades, such as Gracilaria sensu lato and Gracilariopsis. The regional study allowed us to get the information of the geographic distribution of two species, Gracilariopsis chiangii from Taiwan and Hydropuntia perplexa from Australia, and reported for the first time their presence in Okinawa, Japan. The database of the Gracilariaceae has potential to speed up the identification of species diversity.
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