The National Marine Biological

Analytical Quality Control Scheme www.nmbaqcs.org

Ring Test Bulletin – RM RT10

Dr Emma Wells Wells Marine Surveys March 2016 Email: emma@wellsmarine.org

RING TEST DETAILS

Ring Test – RM RT10

Type/Contents – Rockyshore Intertidal macroalgae identification

Circulated – 11th January 2015

Completion Date – 19th February 2016

Number of Subscribing Laboratories – 4

Number of Participating Laboratories – 4

Number of Results Received – 10

Table 1: Summary of Differences

Genus Species

RT1001 Dilsea Carnosa 0 0

RT1002 Litosiphon laminariae 0 1

RT1003 Prasiola stipitata 0 1

RT1004 Phyllophora pseudoceranoides 0 0

RT1005 Chaetomorpha ligustica 0 0

RT1006 Fucus vesiculosus 0 0

RT1007 Mesogloia vermiculata 7 9

RT1008 Cruoria pellita 5 5

RT1009 Saccharina latissima 1 0

RT1010 Codium fragile subsp. fragile 0 2

RT1011 Odonthalia dentata 0 0

RT1012 Acrosiphonia acrta 2 2

RT1013 Bostrychia scorpioides 0 0

RT1014 Crytopleura ramosa 0 0

RT1015 Hincksia granulosa 1 1

RT1016 Blidingia minima 5 5

RT1017 Phycodrys rubens 0 0

RT1018 Ulva pseudocurvata 3 4

RT1019 Colpomenia peregrina 8 8

RT1020 Palmaria palmata 0 0

Total differences 32 38

Average differences per Genus/ species 1.600 1.900

Total differences for 10 returns

SpeciesSpecimen Genera

Table 2: The identification of intertidal macroalgae made by participating laboratories for RM RT10 (arranged by specimen). Names are given where different from the AQC identification, misspelt identifications, synonyms or acceptable alternate identifications are denoted by brackets [ ].

RT1001 RT1002 RT1003 RT1004 RT1005 RT1006 RT1007 RT1008 RT1009 RT1010

Lab Code Dilsea carnosaLitosiphon laminariae

Prasiola stipitata

Phyllophora pseudoceranoides

Chaetomorpha ligustica

Fucus vesiculosus

Mesogloia vermiculata

Cruoria pellitaSaccharina latissima

Codium fragile subsp. fragile

MA2310_ _ − furfuracea _ _ _ _

Mastocarpus stellatus

_ _

MA2303a_ − alariae _ _ _ _

[Liebmannia] leveillei

_ _ _

MA2303b_ _ _ _ _ _

Eudesme virescens

_ _ _

MA2303c_ − [laminaria] _ _ _ _

Eudesme virescens

Haemescharia hennedyi

_ _

MA2303d_ _ _ _ _ _

Eudesme virescens

_ _ − fragile

MA2303e_ _ _ _ _ _

Stilophora tuberculosa

Ralfsia verrucosa _ _

MA2303f_ _ _ _ _ _

Gracillaria gracillis

_ _ − fragile

MA2303g_ _ _ _ _ _

[Liebmannia] leveillei

Ralfsia verrucosa Laminaria − _

MA2321_ _ _ _ _ _

Eudesme virescens

_ _ _

MA2312_ _ _ _ _ _

Eudesme virescens

Petrocelis _ _

Table 2 continued

RT1011 RT1012 RT1013 RT1014 RT1015 RT1016 RT1017 RT1018 RT1019 RT1020

Lab CodeOdonthalia

dentataAcrosiphonia

arctaBostrychia scorpioides

Cryptopleura ramosa

Hincksia granulosa

Blidingia minima

Phycodrys rubensUlva

pseudocurvataColpomenia

peregrinaPalmaria palmata

MA2310_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Petalonia fascia _ _

MA2303a_ _ _ _ _ Ulva intestinalis _ _ Leathesia marina _

MA2303b_ _ _ _ _ Ulva intestinalis _ _

Leathesia difformis

_

MA2303c_ _ _ _ _ Ulva prolifera _ _ Leathesia marina _

MA2303d_ _ _ _ _ Ulva intestinalis _ _ Leathesia marina _

MA2303e_ _ _ _ [Giffordia] − _ _ _

Leathesia difformis

_

MA2303f_ _ _ _ [Hinksia] − _ _

Punctaria latifolia

_

MA2303g_ _ _ _ [Hinksia] − Ulva prolifera _ _ Leathesia marina _

MA2321_

Cladophora dalmatica

_Pilayella littoralis

_ _Punctaria

latifoliaLeathesia difformis

_

MA2312_

Cladophora albida

_ _ [Hinksia] − _ _ − linza Leathesia marina _

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

MA2

310

MA2

303f

MA2

303a

MA2

303b

MA2

303e

MA2

303d

MA2

303c

MA2

303g

MA2

312

MA2

321

Num

ber o

f inc

orre

ct sp

ecie

s or

gen

era

Genus

Species

Figure 1: The number of differences from the AQC identification of intertidal macroalgae specimens for each of the participants for RT10, arranged in order of increasing number of differences.

Detailed breakdown of specimen identifications RT1001 – Dilsea carnosa (Figure 2)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 2. Dilsea carnosa (RT1001) RT1002 – Litosiphon laminariae (Figure 3)

No generic and one specific difference recorded: Lab 03a identified as L. alariae (this species does not exist and it is suspected this identification is an error). Lab 03c incorrectly spelt the species.

Fig. 3. Litosiphon laminariae (RT1002) RT1003 – Prasiola stipitata (Figure 4a)

No generic and one specific difference recorded: Lab 10 identified as P. furfuracea. (this species typically has a much broader frond usually as long as wide (Fig 4b) where as P. stipitata has a much narrower frond often with holdfasts joined in a common base).

Fig. 4a. Prasiola stipitata (RT1003)

Fig 4b. Prasiola furfuracea

RT1004 – Phyllophora pseudoceranoides (Figure 5) No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 5. Phyllophora pseudoceranoides (RT1004) RT1005 – Chaetomorpha ligustica (Figure 6)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 6. Chaetomorpha ligustica (RT1005)

RT1006 – Fucus vesiculosus (Figure 7)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 7. Fucus vesiculosus (RT1006)

RT1007 – Mesogloia vermiculata (Figure 8a) Eight generic and nine specific differences recorded. Labs 03b, 03c, 03d, 21 and 12 identified as Eudesme virescens (M. vermiculata is highly and irregularly branched with a medulla of irregularly shaped filaments (figs 8a and b), E. virescens is predominantly branched along the main axis with a medulla consisting of long, regularly shaped and often dichotomously branched filaments (figs 8c and d).

Fig. 8a. Mesogloia vermiculata (RT1007) Fig 8b. Mesogloia vermiculata medulla

Fig 8c. Eudesme virescens Fig 8d. Eudesme virescens medulla Lab 03a identified as M. leveillei (currently known as Liebmannia leveille) and lab 03g identified as Liebmannia leveillei (this species resembles M. vermiculata in habit and structure but is cartilaginous in texture compared with the gelatinous texture of M. vermiculata (Newton, 1931) as described in the accompanying descriptive notes). Lab 03e identified as Stilophora tuberculosa and lab 03f identified as Gracillaria gracilis (neither of these species are gelatinous in texture).

Fig 8e. Gracillaria gracilis

RT1008 – Cruoria pellita (Figure 9a)

Five generic and five specific differences recorded. Lab 03c identified as Haemescharia hennedyi (previously known as Petrocelis hennedyi) and lab 12 identified as Petrocelis (these species are typically <450um thick compared with Cruoria which is >500um as seen in fig 9a). Lab 23 identified as Mastocarpus stellatus (this species is a large cartilaginous species with erect fronds and not a crust, as seen in fig 9b). Labs 03e and 03g identified as Ralfsia verrucosa (this species is a Phaeophyta species (fig 9c)).

Fig. 9a. Cruoria pellita (RT1008)

Fig 9b. Mastocarpus stellatus Fig 9c. Ralfsia verrucosa (photo taken from

Algaebase) RT1009 – Saccharina latissima (Figure 10)

One generic and no specific differences recorded. Lab 03g identified as Laminaria latissima (Laminaria saccharina is a synonym of Saccharina latissima however using a previous Genus synonym and the current Species name was considered unacceptable within the test as this does not exist as a species in its own right).

Fig. 10. Saccharina latissima (RT1009)

RT1010 – Codium fragile subsp. fragile (Figure 11)

No generic and two specific differences recorded. Labs 03d and 03f did not identify to subspecies level. There are two subspecies within Codium fragile which can be differentiated, amongst other characteristics, on the length of the mucron.

Fig. 11. Codium fragile subsp. fragile (RT1010) RT1011 – Odonthalia dentata (Figure 12)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 12. Odonthalia dentata (RT1011) RT1012 – Acrosiphonia arcta (Figure 13a)

Two generic and two specific differences recorded. Lab 21 identified as Cladophora dalmatica and lab 12 identified as Cladophora albida (this Genus does not display the distinct pyrenoids as seen in Acrosiphonia arcta (fig 13b) and C.albida has narrow, rounded apical cells and a distinctly different branching pattern).

Fig. 13a. Acrosiphonia arcta (RT1012)

Fig 13b. Cladophora albida

RT1013 – Bostrychia scorpioides (Figure 14)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 14. Bostrychia scorpioides (RT1013) RT1014 – Cryptopleura ramosa (Figure 15)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 15. Cryptopleura ramosa (RT1014) RT1015 – Hincksia granulosa (Figure 16)

One generic and one specific difference recorded. Lab 21 identified as Pilayella littoralis (this species has intercalary sporangia as seen in fig 16b compared with the spherical shaped sporangia of Hincksia sp. which appear as side branches). Lab 03e used the synonym Giffordia granulosa which was accepted. Labs 03f and 21 incorrectly spelt the genus name.

Fig. 16a. Hincksia granulosa (RT1015)

Fig. 16b. Pilayella littoralis

RT1016 – Blidingia minima (Figure 17a)

Five generic and five specific differences recorded. Labs 03a, 03b and 03d identified as Ulva intestinalis (this species has much larger cells, 8-20 um (-30) with the hood shaped chloroplast located at the apical end of the cell as seen in Fig 17b compared with Blidingia minima with cells 5-10um and plastids filling the cell). Labs 03c and 03g identified as Ulva prolifera (this species also has much larger cells, 10-22um (-35), which tend to be regularly arranged unlike those of Blidingia minima).

Fig. 17a. Blidingia minima (RT1016)

Fig 17b. Ulva intestinalis Fig 17c. Ulva prolifera RT1017 – Phycodrys rubens (Figure 18)

No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 18. Phycodrys rubens (RT1017)

RT1018 – Ulva pseudocurvata (Figure 19)

Three generic and four specific differences recorded. Labs 03f and 21 identified as Punctaria latifolia and lab 10 identified as Petalonia fascia (these are both Phaeophyta species therefore brown in colour unlike the vivid green of Ulva sp. Petalonia can certainly look superficially like this when it has lost pigment, but microscopically is fundamentally different.). Lab 12 identified as Ulva linza (although very similar in morphology U. pseudocurvata may be distinguished by the presence of both normal vegetative and rhizoidal cells of similar shape and size at the basal region only differing by their darker cell contents, as seen

in fig 19). Fig. 19. Ulva pseudocurvata (RT1018) RT1019 – Colpomenia peregrina (Figure 20a)

Eight generic and eight specific differences recorded: Labs 03s, 03c, 03d, 03g and 12 identified as Leathesia marina and labs 03b, 03e and 21 identified as the synonym of L. marina, L. difformis (the internal portion of Leathesia is composed of radiating dichotomous filaments (fig 20b) unlike the truely parenchymatous form of Colpomenia which is membranous and consists of just two layers of tissue; when a portion of the frond is squashed no separable filaments can be seen).

Fig. 20a. Colpomenia peregrina (RT1019)

Fig. 20b. Leathesia marina.

RT1020 – Palmaria palmata (Figure 21) No generic and no specific differences recorded.

Fig. 21. Palmaria palmata (RT1020) The number of correct answers ranged from 30 to 35 based on 1 point awarded for correct species name and 1 point awarded for correct genus name. The maximum possible total was 40. Nine species were correctly identified by all 10 participants. The table below indicates the total scores awarded to each laboratory based on the results submitted. Table 3: Individual laboratory scores Lab Code Total ScoreMA2310 35MA2303f 35MA2303a 34MA2303b 34MA2303e 34MA2303d 33MA2303c 32MA2303g 32MA2312 31MA2321 30

References Brodie, J., Maggs, C.A. & John, D.M. (2007). Green seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. pp. [i-v], vi-xii, 1-242, 101 figs. London: British Phycological Society. Dixon, P.S. and Irvine, L.M., 1978. Seaweeds of the British Isles. Vol. 1 Rhodophyta. Part 1. Introduction, Nemaliales, Gigartinales. British Museum (Natural History), London. Guiry, M.D. & West, J.A. (1983). Life history and hybridization studies on Gigartina stellata and Petrocelis cruenta (Rhodophyta) in the North Atlantic. Journal of Phycology 19: 474-494. Newton, L., 1931. A Handbook of the British Seaweeds. London: British Museum (Natural History). M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2016. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 14 March 2016. Fletcher, R.L., 1987. Seaweeds of the British Isles. Vol. 3. Fucophyceae (Phaeophyceae). Part 1. British Museum (Natural History), London.