Pikea californica Harvey 1853

Current name: Pikea californica Harvey
Northern California - 09 March 2011. Wendell Wood (ww@oregonwild.org)

Publication Details
Pikea californica Harvey 1853: 246

Published in: Harvey, W.H. (1853). Nereis boreali-americana; or, contributions towards a history of the marine algae of the atlantic and pacific coasts of North America. Part II. Rhodospermeae. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge 5(5): [i-ii], [1]-258, pls XIII-XXXVI.

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Type Species
This is the type species (holotype) of the genus Pikea.

Status of Name
This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Type Information
Type locality: "Golden Gate (50 in part, 78)" [probably Fort Point, San Francisco, U.S.A.]; (Harvey 1853: 247) Lectotype [designated by Maggs & Guiry 1987: 151]: "Capt Pike"; TCD; Herb. Harvey 50C (Dawson 1953: 88) Notes: See Silva (1979: 318) regarding the locality “Golden Gate”.

Eponomy
The genus was named for "Capt. Nicholas Pike of Brooklyn", who collected the type.

Origin of Species Name
Adjective A (Latin), pertaining to California (Stearn 1983).

General Environment
This is a marine species.

Created: 29 July 1996 by M.D. Guiry.

Last updated: 07 October 2023

Verification of Data
Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of information before use, as noted on the website Content page.

Distributional notes
Pikea californica was first recognised on the Isles of Scilly off south-west England in 1983, although examination of herbarium specimens showed that the population was present in 1967 (Maggs & Guiry 1987). This species is known from the west coast of North America. It is thought to have been introduced from California (Maggs & Guiry 1987), possibly having arrived during World War II. Flying boats flew directly from California to the Isles of Scilly during World War II and seaplane hulls and floats are occasionally fouled by algae. This species may have been transferred by flying boats employing canvas sea anchors (stored in the hull while flying which would consequently have been damp but aerated)(Maggs & Guiry 1987). However, Maggs & Ward (1996) have carried out a survey of the Californian coast and reported that this species does not currently occur around San Diego, where the seaplanes were manufactured. They have no other suggestions concerning the vector used for transporting this species from California, but shellfish importations should also be suspected, perhaps from Japan. - (11 May 2006) - G.M. Guiry
According to Boo et al. (2016), the previous report of P. californica in Korea is a misidentification. - (23 February 2016) - G.M. Guiry

Habitat note
low and mid intertidal; tide pool; epilithic (Augyte & Shaughnessy, 2014). - (08 December 2014) - G.M. Guiry

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=646

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 07 October 2023. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 08 April 2025