Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2019, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (4): 30-40.doi: 10.11978/2018117CSTR: 32234.14.2018117

• Marine Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The diversity and distribution of coralline algae in China: state of knowledge and research

Xinming LEI1,2,Hui HUANG1,2,3(),Jiansheng LIAN1,2,Laurence J MCCOOK1,4   

  1. 1. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
    2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Guangzhou 510301, China
    3. CAS Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Sanya 572000, China
  • Received:2018-11-12 Revised:2019-01-18 Online:2019-07-20 Published:2019-07-21
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China((41306144、41676150););National Key Research and Development Plan((2017YFC0506301););Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences((XDA13020402););Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China((2017B0303014052).)

Abstract:

Coralline algae are a group of calcified red algae of importance in many marine ecosystems, with significant roles in primary productivity and ecological functions, and are increasingly a focal group for research. Globally, species description and distribution of coralline algae are being gradually resolved, but within China, there is a lack of a national-scale summary and there is an urgent need to update knowledge of species diversity. This lack of background information seriously hinders national programs of research and conservation for coralline algae. In this paper, we analyze and summarize the state of knowledge on the diversity and distribution of coralline algae in China. Although a total of 155 species of coralline algae have been recorded in China, combining synonyms reduces this count to 105 species; they belong to 10 families and 26 genera, and account for 15% of accepted coralline algae species worldwide. The distribution of coralline algae ranges from the Bohai Sea to the South China Sea, showing features typical of distributions across tropical and subtropical regions. Relatively few species have been recorded from Liaoning, Shandong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hong Kong (less than 20 species in each region), while more species have been recorded for Taiwan, Hainan Island and Sansha regions (more than 30 species in each region). This study provides a good reference for determining species and distribution characteristics for coralline algae in China.

Key words: Coralline algae, biodiversity, distribution, research status, China