Cladophoropsis Børgesen, 1905, nom. cons.

Lectotype species: Cladophoropsis membranacea (Bang ex C.Agardh) Børgesen

Original publication: Børgesen, F. (1905). Contributions à la connaissance du genre Siphonocladus Schmitz. Oversight Over Det Kgl Danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Forhandlingar 3: 259-291, 13 figs.

Type designated in: Papenfuss, G.F. (1950). On the identity of Spongocladia and Cladophoropsis. Pacific Science 4: 208-213, 1 fig.

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Description: Thallus composed of interwoven filiform siphons forming mall cushions or extensive mats, often 1-2 cm thick and many meters wide. Cells 100-500 µm diameter to 1 cm long. Apical orientation replaced by diffuse branching pattern with development. Annular constrictions not present. Branches aseptate, secondarily septate; initiated from aseptate protrusions at distal ends of intercalary and apical segments, followed by elongation. Septations intercalary and/or at branch points. Lenticular cells absent. Rhizoid well developed from which new axes can arise. Adventitious rhizoids common, arising from branches in contact with substratum. Structural reinforcement of the thallus achieved by interweaving and rarely by tenacular cells. Cell division by segregative division and centripetal invagination in both the main axis and rhizoid. Cells multinucleate; chloroplasts numerous per cell and discoid, each with single pyrenoid surrounded by starch sheath and bisected by traversing thylakoid. Life history presumably a biphasic alternation of generations. Vegetative propagation via aplanospore products of segregative division is probable.

Information contributed by: J.L. Olsen & M.D. Guiry. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2015-10-19 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Leliaert, F. & Coppejans, E. (2006). A revision of Cladophoropsis Børgesen (Siphonocladales, Chlorophyta). Phycologia 45: 657-679.

Comments: Haploid and diploid chromosome numbers of 16 and 32 reported for C. macromeres, C. membranacea, and C. sundanensis. Nuclear DNA amounts of 2.1, 4.0-4.5 and 8.4-9.0 pg (1C, 2C and 4C) estimated for C. macromeres and C. membranacea.

Cladophoropsis is a common, pantropical marine genus. It is found in abundance during most of the year on shallow, reef-flats. Its favors habitats with good water motion; however, it may also be found in more quiet, lagoon-like habitats and in reef flat holes. Sequence analysis of nuclear rDNA in C. membranacea suggest east-west divergence of populations associated with an ancestral Tethyan distribution. Cladophoropsis was erected to accommodate seven species formerly assigned to Siphonocladus. Papenfuss merged Spongocladia and Cladophoropsis and proposed conservation of Cladophoropsis. Although a few species such as C. membranacea and C. luxurians are reasonably distinctive, the limits of the genus are unclear. This is attributable to the presence of few morphological characters and the confusion over the interpretation of septate and aseptate lateral branches which are key diagnostic features. Lateral branches are not strictly aseptate as has been claimed by most workers. Both types of lateral are common. Tenacular cells are present but uncommon. Lenticular cells (sensu Egerod) are absent. The sister taxa of Cladophoropsis are Boodlea and Struvea based on immunological distance and character compatibility analysis. Nuclear encoded rRNA sequence data place Cladophoropsis in the cladophoralean clade, but Boodlea and Struvea were not part of that study.

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Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

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Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 19 October 2015. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 23 November 2024