Molecular diversity of the Caulerpa racemosa-Caulerpa peltata complex (Caulerpaceae, Bryopsidales) in New Caledonia, with new Australasian records for C. racemosa var. cylindracea

Abstract

Molecular characterization (plastid-encoded tufA gene) of New Caledonian members of the Caulerpa racemosa–Caulerpa peltata complex identified five lineages, each possibly harboring multiple species-level entities. On a global scale, the complex encompassed six lineages, two of which were pantropical and the remainder seemingly were restricted to the Indo-Pacific basin. Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea, a fast-spreading introduced taxon in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands, was previously thought to be restricted to southwestern Australia; it was newly reported here for New Caledonia and several northern Australian locations, including the Great Barrier Reef.