A new record of a marine macroalga from New Zealand - Giraudyopsis stellifera

The presence of the small brown-gold alga Giraudyopsis stellifera in New Ze aland is recorded for the first time. This alga was discovered in algal cul tures initiated with material collected on Stewart Island. The comparison o f 18S rDNA sequences enabled the confirmation of its identity. This species produces small basal discs from which erect uniseriate filaments develop. These erect filaments become pluriseriate and then produce many zoosporangi a. Although this species is placed in the order Chrysomeridales the phyloge netic affinities of this order are unclear.