Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus. , Tokyo, Ser. B, 24(3 ), pp. 93- 10 I, September 22 , 1998

Marine Algal Endophyte and Epiphytes New to New Caledonia
Taiju Kitayama 1 and Claire Garrigue 2
1

Department of Botany, National Science Museum,4- 1- 1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, lbaraki, 305- 0005 Japan
2
0RSTOM , BP AS , Noumea, New Caledonia

Abstract Four microscopic multicellular algae, Phaeophila dendroides (Chlorophyceae, Phaeophilales), Feldmannia irregularis, Feldmannnia indica (Phaeophyceae, Ectocarpales), Stylonema alsidii (Rhodophyceae, Porphyridiales) wererecorded for the first time from the coast of New Caledonia. Phaeophila dendroides
is an endophyte in Dictyota and the rest are epiphytes on Turbinaria ornata orSphacelaria rigidula . The three genera and the three orders are new records in NewCaledonia.
Key words: Algal flora, endophyte, epiphyte, Feldmannnia indica , Feldmannia
irregularis, New Caledonia , Phaeophila dendroides, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae,
Stylonema alsidii, Ulvophyceae.

Since Ki.itzing (1863) published the first records ofNew Caledonian algae basedon E. Vieillard's collections, there have been few further publications focussed onmarine benthic algae from New Caledonia including Gepp (1922), Catala (1950),May (1953, 1966), Garrigue (1987) and Ajisaka (1991). In their catalog of the Marine Benthic Algae from New Caledonia (based on the previous records), Garrigueand Tsuda ( 1988) enumerated 130 species of green algae, 59 species of brown algae
and 14 7 species of red algae. However, to date there have been few studies on minuteendophytes or epiphytes on macroalgae in New Caledonia. This is because it is difficult to find microscopic algae living within or on the tissue of the preserved driedplants specimens previously collected. While in New Caledonia on a study trip thefirst author collected fresh samples with the aim of examining the microscopic marine algae ofNew Caledonia.
Materials and Methods
A green algal endophyte within the thallus of Dictyota spp. (Phaeophyceae, Dictyotales) and two brown algal epiphytes and red algal epiphytes on branches ofTurbinaria ornata (Turner) J. Agardh (Phaeophyceae, Fucales) were collected by thefirst author at Pointe aux Longs Cous, Noumea (22°17'S, 166°28'E), in February
1995 . The materials collected were fixed in 5- 10% Formalin-seawater at the laboratory within four hours of collection for later microscopic examination of their anatomy.

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Taiju Kitayama and C laire Garrigue

The voucher slilde specimens are deposited in the herbarium of National ScienceMuseum, Tokyo (TNS).
In this report we followed the taxonomic system used in the check list of marine
algae of Japan made by Yoshida et al. ( 199S); however, I adopted Ulvophyceae Mattox et Stewart (1984) as a class including most ofbenthic marine green algae.

Descriptions
Class ULVOPHYCEAE Mattox et Stewart
Order Phaeophilales Chappell, O'Kelly, Wilox et Floyd
Family Phaeophilaceae Chappell, O ' Kelly, Wilox et Floyd

Phaeophila dendroides (P. Crouan et H . Crouan) Batters(Figs. I, SA, B)
Journal of Botany 40: 13 ( 1902). - Ochlochaete dendra ides P. Crouan et H.
Crouan, Algues marines du Finistere ... Brest. no . 346. (18S2).
Plants are endophytic in cortical layers of Dictyota spp. They are green in colorand composed of uniseriate filaments with long setae. Filaments are prostrate, cylindrical or irregular in shape, I 0- 2S J..lm in diameter. Setae are elongate, tubular, 3S J..Lm in diameter, often twisted on the upper portions (Fig. I arrowhead). They project out from the surface of the host cortices (Fig. SA). Zoosporangia were unilocular,
1.

Fig. I. Phaeophila dendroides (P. C rouan et H. Crouan) Batters (TNs -AL-4500 l). Thallus endophytic in Dictyota spp. with seta (arrowhead) and sporagi um (arrow) . Scale bar = 50 J.lm .

Marine Algal Endophyte and Epiphytes New to New Caledoni a95

rounded or often bent, containing several zoospores (Fig. I arrow).
Specimen examined: Noumea. I 5 Feb. 1995 (TNS-AL-4500 I).
Geographical distribution: Bermuda, British Columbia, Eastern Canada, Europe,
Indian Ocean, Japan, Mediterranean, Philippines, Washington.
Phaeophila dendroides may be a cosmopolitan species, but there are few records
from the Pacific Ocean: British Columbia (O'Kelly and Yarish 1980), Philippines(Tanaka 1967) and Japan (Kitayama and Yoshida 1992). Although this species is related to the Ulvellaceae of the Ulvales in having characteristically twisted setae,Chappell et al. ( 1990) proposed the new order Phaeophilales and the new family
Phaeophilaceae on the basis of the species because of its unique flagellar apparatus
provided with six microtubular rootlets and single-lobed terminal caps, and uniquezoosporangia whose mother cells became multinucleate in the early developmental
stage (O'Kelly and Yarish 1980).
Class PHAEOPHYCEAE Kjellman
Order Ectocarpales Setchell et Gardner
Family Ectocarpaceae C. Agardh

2.

Feldmannia indica (Sonder) Womersley et Bailey(Figs. 2, 5C)
Phi I. Trans. Royal Soc. London 259(B): 288 ( 1970). - Ectocarpus indicus Sonder, 2, 3 (1854).
Plants are epiphytic on branches of Turbinaria ornata. They are light brown incolor, forming tufts, up to 2 mm in height, consisting of monostichously branchederect filaments and unbranched laterals each with a meristematic zone at the base(Fig. 2A- C). Filaments are uniseriate, cylindrical , 12- 25 f..Lm in diameter. Laterals aretapering when young, attenuated above with an acute apex , occasionally terminatedin a phaeophycean hair. Cells of the filaments are straight, 40- 85 f..Lm in length, containing several discoid chloroplasts with a small pyrenoid (Fig. 2D). Plurilocular sporangia are sessile or occasionally pedicellate, cylindrical, elongate, with a rounded
tip, 22- 38 f..Lm in diameter, 95- 188 f..Lm in length.
Specimen examined: Noumea. I 5 Feb. 1995 (TNS-AL-45002) .
Geographical distribution: Indian Ocean, Japan, Philippines, Southern Australia(Type locality: Bima Bay, Sumbawa, Indonesia).
The taxonomic position of this species is not clear. In the check list of Japan revised by Yoshida et al. ( 1995), the species was listed as Hincksia indica (Sonder) J.
Tanaka due to its lack of hair-like branches that the members of the genus Feldmannia possess (Tanaka 1990). Occasionally, however, our plants have phaeophycean
hairs on the tip of the long erect filaments. Alternatively, Silva et al. ( 1997) treatedthe species as Feldmannia indica (Sonder) Womersley et Bailey in their recent catalogue for the Indian Ocean. Clayton ( 1974), Abbott and Hollenberg (1976), and96

Taiju Kitayama and Claire Garri gueFig. 2. Feldmannia indica (Sonder) Womersley et Bailey (TNs-AL-45002). A- C. Erect filamentswith plurilocular sporangia. Scale bar = I 00 )lm. D. Cell with discoid chloroplasts. Scalebar = 20)1m.

Womersley ( 1987) noted in the key to the genera of Ectocarpales that the genus Feldmannia is characterized by meristematic zones at the base of unbranched terminal filaments. Thus we used Feldmannia indica for the time being, following the treatment
by Silva et al., although detailed studies are needed to elucidate the relation between
Feldmannia and Hincksia (earlier correct name of Giffordia , Silva et al. 1987).

3.

Feldmannia irregularis (Kiltzing) G. Hamel(Figs. 3, SD)
Pheophycees de France. Fasc. V: xvii , f. 61F (1939). - Ectocarpus irregularis
Kiltzing, Phycologia Germanica: 234 ( 1845).

Marine Alga l Endophyte and Epip hytes New to New Caledon ia97

Fig. 3. Fe/dmannia irregularis (Kiitz ing) G. Hamel (TNS-AL-45003 ). A. Prostrate filaments withplurilocular sporang ia. Scale bar = I 00 Jl.m . B. Ce ll with discoid chloroplasts. Scale bar =20J.Lm.

Plants are epiphytic, tufted erectly or prostrate on the surface of branches ofTurbinaria ornata. They are up to 2 mm in height, filamentous , branched irregularly
and have meri stematic zones each at the base of the ultimate branches terminating ina phaeophycean hair (Fig. 3A). Filaments are straight or curved, uniseriate, cylilndrical, 16- 22 ,urn in diameter. Cells are 14-93 ,urn in length, having several discoidal
chloroplasts containing a pyrenoid (Fig. 3B). Plurilocular sporangia are sessile orpedicellate, usually unilaterally, fusiform, conical, often upwardly curved, with anacute apex, 20- 33 ,um in diameter, 43- 106 ,um in length.
Specimen examined: Noumea. 15 Feb. 1995 (TNs-AL-45003).
Geographical di stribution: California, Indian Ocean, Japan, Philippines, Southern Australia (Type locality: Adriatic Sea).
Although acute, conical plurilocular sporangia of Feldmannia irregularis distinguish this species from F indica, which has elongate, cylindrical plurilocular sporangia, we think that their relation is not yet clear. They grow on the same host tissues
and their vegetative cells are very similar. Culture experiments on these algae are required.

98Taiju Kitayama and Claire Garrigue

Class RHODOPHYCEAE Rabenhorst
Order Porphyridiales Kylin
Family Goniotrichaceae G. M. Smith4.

Stylonema alsidii (Zanardini) K. Drew
(Figs. 4, SE)
Botanisk Tidsskrift 53: 72 ( 1956). - Bangia alsidii Zanardini, Bibliotheca Italiana 96: 136 ( 1840). - Goniotrichum alsidii (Zanardini) Howe, Mem. Torrey Bot.
Club 15: 75 (1914).
Plants are epiphytic on branches of Turbinaria ornata or Sphacelaria rigidula
Kiitzing growing on the branches ofT ornata. They are red in color, filamentous, irregularly pseudodichotomous, up to 660 tJ.m in height. Filaments are uniseriate, 1228 tJ.m in diameter, including thick gelatinous sheath, having a rounded apex (Fig. 4).
Cells are cylindrical or spherical, 7- 11 tJ.m in diameter, 4- 13 fJ.m in length. They haveno pit-connections. Each cell contains a single stellate chloroplast with a pyrenoid inFig. 4. Stylonema alsidii (Zanardini) K. Drew (TNs-AL-45004 ). Scale bar = I 00 ,Urn.

Marine Algal Endophyte and Epiphytes New to New CaledoniaBFig. 5. A, B. Phaeophi/a dendroides (P. Crouan et H. Crouan) Batters (TNS-AL-4500 I). A. Setae
issued from the suface of Dictyota spp. Scale bar = 50 ,um. B. Cell projecting a seta. Scalebar=20 ,um. C. Feldmannia indica (Sonder) Womersley et Bailey (TNs-AL-45002). Plurilocular sporangium. Scale bar =40 ,um. D. Feldmannia irregularis (Kiitzing) G. Hamel (TNs-AL45003). Plurilocular sporangium. Scale bar =2 0 ,um. E. Sty/onema alsidii (Zanardini) K. Drew(TNs-AL-45004 ). Apical portion of erect filament. Scale bar = I 0 ,um .

99

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Taiju Kitayama and Claire Garrigue

the center of it (Fig. SE). Reproductive organs are not found.
Specimen examined: Noumea. 15 Feb. 1995 (TNS-AL-45004).
Geographical distribution: Cosmopolitan (Type locality: Trieste, Italy).
Stylonema alsidii has a worldwide distribution, but there has been no report ofthe species from the South Pacific Ocean. Our plants are so young that we could notobserve reproductive structures, which are known to be asexual monospores occuringon the tip of filaments.

Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Prof. Tanguy Jaffre, ORSTOM, Noumea for his cooperationin this study. The first author also expresses his thanks to Dr. Mitsuya Tsuda, Kyoto
University for giving him the opportunity to study marine algae of New Caledonia.
This study was supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Overseas Scientific Survey (FieldResearch no. 05041 093) from Ministry of Education, Science, Sport and Culture,
Japan.

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