A. Pillmann et al., INTERSPECIFIC AND INTRASPECIFIC GENETIC-VARIATION IN CAULERPA (CHLOROPHYTA) BASED ON NUCLEAR RDNA ITS SEQUENCES, European journal of phycology, 32(4), 1997, pp. 379-386
Caulerpa (Chlorophyta, Ulvophyceae) is a common marine tropical-subtro
pical genus of about 70 species, inhabiting the eulittoral zone on roc
ks and corals as well as mangroves. The genus is particularly diverse
and abundant along southern Australian coasts, where it is thought to
have originated. Here, we compare sequences from the nuclear ribosomal
cistron among five species of Caulerpa, including nine populations of
Caulerpa filiformis from two biogeographic regions: five from Austral
ia and four from South Africa. Species relationships were well resolve
d by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and supported by high
bootstrap values as follows: (C. germinata (C. simpliciuscula (C. tri
faria (C. scalpelliformis (C. filiformis - Australia, C. filiformis -
South Africa))))). Nucleotide divergence within C. filiformis was low
with four and five nucleotide differences present in ITS1 and ITS2 res
pectively. Unexpectedly, the 5.8S rRNA gene showed eight nucleotide di
fferences between the Australian and South African populations and may
indicate cryptic species. The Australian C. filiformis is probably no
t a South African introduction. These sequences provide an independent
means for assessment of species relationships and appear, in so far a
s limited taxon sampling permits, to follow chloroplast ultrastructura
l groupings proposed 20 years ago.