• ALGAE
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.265-274
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• 2015

Thorea indica sp. nov. is described from the Sai River, Uttar Pradesh, India (26°39′00.7″ N, 80°47′38.3″ E). Its classification is based on molecular sequences of the plastid-encoded RuBisCO large-subunit gene, rbcL and the barcode region of the mitochondrial encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, cox1, and morphological data. The sequence analyses confirm a new species of Thorea. The cox1 barcode sequence had 90.4-90.8% identity with Thorea sp. from Australia and Thorea hispida from Hawaii and China. Based on rbcL sequences the Indian specimen was positioned in a major clade with high support (>95 bootstrap and 0.95 posterior probability) containing two other species: T. okadae from Japan and T. hispida from the continental USA, Hawaii, the UK, and China. The divergences among these sequences were T. indica vs. T. okadae (2.8%) and T. indica vs. T. hispida (2.9-3.4%). The comparison of morphological characters of Thorea from India was not conclusive due to the inadequate descriptions in previous reports: most specimens reported as T. hispida fit within the circumscription of T. indica as described here. The previous report of T. siamensis from the Sai River is incorrect and the specimens fit within our description of T. indica. Thorea indica and T. okadae can be distinguished by minor morphometric characters and sexuality (dioecious vs. monoecious).

• ALGAE
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2019

Freshwater red algal diversity and the relationship with water conditions in 22 stream segments in the area around Khao Luang National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand, were studied during a period of twelve months (May 2014 to April 2015). Sixteen species of freshwater red algae, belonging to eight genera (Audouinella, Balliopsis, Batrachospermum, Caloglossa, Compsopogon, Kumanoa, Sirodotia, and Thorea) were identified, which were all reported earlier for the country. Thorea clavata (Thoreaceae) was the most common species occurring in eight stream segments. Caloglossa beccarii sensu lato (Delesseriaceae) and Sirodotia huillensis Skuja (Batrachospermaceae) had the highest percent cover with up to 40% and 20% per stream segment, respectively. The water quality showed most sites to be unpolluted or ultra-oligotrophic to oligotrophic. Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed some trends in occurrence of individual species with stream environmental variables: Batrachospermum sp.with strong current velocity; Kumanoa hirosei with high turbidity, total dissolved solid and alkalinity; Caloglossa beccarii with high conductivity; Kumanoa tabagatenensis with high ammonia-nitrogen and Thorea siamensis with high calcium and magnesium. In view of the scarce studies on the stream ecology of freshwater red algae in Philippines and neighbouring countries, it is expected that the data presented here would be helpful in more critical further studies in south-east Asia in general.