Diversity of bladed bangiales (Rhodophyta) in Western Mediterranean: Recognition of the genus Themis and descriptions of T. ballesterosii sp. nov., T. iberica sp. nov. and Pyropia parva sp. nov.

 DIVERSITY OF BLADED BANGIALES (RHODOPHYTA) IN WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN: RECOGNITION OF THE GENUS THEMIS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF T. BALLESTEROSII SP. NOV., T. IBERICA SP. NOV. AND PYROPIA PARVA SP. NOV. Noemí Sánchez Uni e si a de Gi ona, Facul a de Ciències, Depa amen de Ciències Ambien als, 17071 Gi ona, Spain Alba Ve gés1 Uni e si a de Gi ona, Facul a de Ciències, Depa amen de Ciències Ambien als, 17071 Gi ona, Spain Césa Pe ei o Ins i u o Español de Oceanog a ía (IEO), Cen o Oceanog á ico de San ande , 39080 San ande , Spain Judi h E. Su he land School o Biological Sciences, he Uni e si y o Auckland, P i a e Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand and Julie B odie Na u al His o y Museum, Depa men o Li e Sciences, LondonSW7 5BD, UK 1Au ho o co espondence: email alba. e [email protected] ABSTRACT: The di e si y o he bladed species o he ed algal o de Bangiales om he Ibe ian Medi e anean sho es has been eassessed a e a de ailed s udy o his egion. P io o his s udy, 11 bladed species o Bangiales had been epo ed om Medi e anean wa e s: Po phy a a opu pu ea, P. co da a, P. co iacea, P. dioica, P. linea is, P. pu pu ea, P. umbilicalis, Py opia leucos ic a, Py. ko eana (as Py. oli ii), Py. elonga a (as P. osengu ii) and Py. subo bicula a. A combined analysis o he nuclea nSSU and he plas id bcL genes oge he wi h de ailed mo phological s udies has con i med he p esence o species wi hin he gene a Po phy a and Py opia and also e ealed a hi d, undesc ibed genus, Themis gen. no . Po phy a linea is, Py opia elonga a and he in oduced Py opia ko eana had been p e iously lis ed o he Medi e anean and we e eco ded in he p esen s udy. An addi ional ou species, including he in oduced Py opia subo bicula a and h ee new species: Py opia pa a sp. no ., Themis balles e osii sp. no . and Themis ibe ica sp. no . we e also obse ed. Hence, mos o he Po phy a species adi ionally epo ed along hese sho es we e no epo ed in his su ey. This new lo is ic Bangiales composi ion con i ms he impo ance o he Medi e anean basin as a ho spo o biodi e si y, possible endemics o ancien o igin and high p opo ion o in oduc ions. Ou da a also con inue o con i m he ex en o Bangiales di e si y a egional and wo ldwide le els. Key index wo ds: Bangiales, Medi e anean, nSSU, Po phy a, Py opia, bcL, axonomic e ision, Themis