Seaweeds from sand-covered rocks of the Atlantic Iberian Peninsula. Part 1. The Rhodomelaceae (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta)

Sand-covered rocks provide a particular habitat to benthic seaweeds, which must tolerate the stressful conditions imposed by the presence of sediments. Turf assemblages are dominant in this habitat, which is widely distributed along the Atlantic Iberian Peninsula, neverthelss their flora remained poorly known. This work presents a taxonomic, floristic and chorological account of the most representative Rhodomelaceae from sand-covered rocks along the Atlantic Iberian Peninsula. For each species we provided morphological descriptions, distribution maps, and/or COI-5P sequences, as well as taxonomic notes. The species studied are: Chondria coerulescens, Ctenosiphonia hypnoides, Herposiphonia cf. secunda f. tenella, Leptosiphonia schousboei, Lophosiphonia reptabunda, L. simplicissima sp. nov., Ophidocladus simpliciusculus, Polysiphonia caespitosa, P. devoniensis, P. foetidissima, P. fucoides, P. nigra, P. stricta, P. tripinnata, Pterosiphonia ardreana, P. parasitica, P. pennata and Streblocladia collabens. Among our taxonomical conclusions, we herein proposed a novel species Lophosiphonia simplicissima as well as the transfer of Streblocladia collabens to the genus Neosiphonia: Furthermore, the parasitic species Aiolocolax pulchellus is described and its taxonomic position is discussed.