Redefining Pyropia (Bangiales, Rhodophyta): Four New Genera, Resurrection of Porphyrella and Description of Calidia...

The cosmopolitan red algal genus Pyropia sensu lato is the most speciose of the bladed Bangiales genera. In a major revision of the Bangiales, Pyropia was resurrected from Porphyra, although there was evidence at the time that species of Pyropia could be separated into several genera. Subsequent global phylogenetic analyses continued to resolve species assigned to Pyropia into several major clades with strong support, and the latest biogeographic analyses indicated that species distribution was also a pointer to the underlying phylogeny of Pyropia sensu lato. Therefore, in the present study, we have redefined the genus Pyropia, resurrected Porphyrella, and proposed four new genera: Calidia, Neoporphyra, Neopyropia, and Uedaea. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study of the bladed Bangiales of China, a species which did not match any known taxa was resolved in the new genus Calidia. The species, Calidia pseudolobata sp. nov., is described based on both morphological and molecular data. Molecular sequence data for rbcL, 18S, and COI-5P were amplified for 15 samples in the present study. All the obtained rbcL sequences were identical to each other except for one (LYCN117) with one base pair difference. Two haplotypes of 18S (V9 region) were observed with one base pair difference (C/T₃₀ ). All the obtained COI-5P sequences were identical. Morphological comparisons were conducted not only with species in Calidia, but also with generically uncertain species currently assigned to Porphyra.