Marine Biologists Discover New Species of Red Alga

A team of marine biologists from China and the United Kingdom has revised the taxonomy of Pyropia, a large genus of red alga (seaweed) in the family Bangiaceae, and described a new species and four new genera.

The genus Pyropia is found around the world in intertidal zones and shallow water.

It contains several species of economic importance to China, Japan and Korea where they are farmed for nori, an aquaculture crop that when processed is the black wrapping used in sushi.

“Pyropia is a cosmopolitan, large group of organisms but extremely hard or impossible to identify in the field based on what they look like morphological features,” said senior author Professor Juliet Brodie, a researcher in the Department of Life Sciences at the Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.

“This raises questions as to where and how to go about the search for potential crop candidates.”

“It’s exciting to find a new species from our research, we should never underestimate the value of biodiversity discovery and understanding species relationships. Such fundamental knowledge is the basis of our existence, survival and well-being.”

Professor Brodie and her colleagues from Jiangsu Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm, and Natural History Museum revised the taxonomy of Pyropia using a combined molecular and morphological approach.

The researchers found definitive evidence that this genus is made up of several genera whose distribution is indicative of their underlying evolutionary history.

By using these techniques, they revised the concept of Pyropia (subpolar to cold temperate).

They described four new genera — Calidia (tropical/subtropical), Neoporphyra (warm temperate), Neopyropia (cold temperate) and Uedaea — and resurrected an old genus called Porphyrella.

One species from China that did not match any known taxa was added to the new genus Calidia and named Calidia pseudolobata.

“The results of this study have big implications for the nori industry,” Professor Brodie said.

“Traditionally, the economically important species Pyropia tenera, Pyropia yezoensis and Pyropia haitanensis used in aquaculture in Asia went under the genus Porphyra until this genus was split a few years ago and they were transferred to Pyropia.”

“As a result of our work, Pyropia tenera and Pyropia yezoensis move to the genus Neopyropia, and Pyropia haitanensis is moved to Neoporphyra.”

“The new research demonstrates the importance of fundamental biodiversity discovery underpinned by a robust taxonomy in order to apply such knowledge.”

“Redefining Pyropia, coupled with an understanding of the distribution of the new genera, provides a potentially powerful tool for the discovery of new seaweed species/strains for aquaculture.”

The study was published in the Journal of Phycology.