PREDAEA KUROSHIOENSIS SP-NOV (NEMASTOMATACEAE, RHODOPHYTA) FROM JAPAN

The marine red alga Predaea kuroshioensis sp. nov. (Nemastomataceae, R hodophyta) is described from central Pacific Japan. It is a deep-water species with the Following characters: foliaceous orbicular undulate gametophytic thallus up to c. 11 cm in height and width, often with bu llate protuberances on the surface; pseudodichotomously, rarely tricho tomously divided cortical filaments with cylindrical outer cortical ce lls; two- to four-celled carpogonial branches, with or without one or two lateral sterile cells on the hypogynous cell or the basal cell of carpogonial branches; few nutritive cells borne on cells one to three cells distant from the auxiliary cell; gonimoblast initiated from the connecting filament, with mature carposporophytes containing two or th ree gonimolobes. Plants lack veins in the thallus, wrinkles on the tha llus surface, secondary cortical filaments, vesicular cells and transv erse divisions of fertilized carpogonia. The new species is compared a nd contrasted with the 13 previously described species of Predaea; it is the fourth to be recorded from Japan.