Batrachospermum helminthosum Bory

Ganesan, E. K., West, John A. & Jr, Orlando Necchi, 2018, A catalogue and bibliography of non-marine (freshwater and estuarine) Rhodophyta (red algae) of India, Phytotaxa 364 (1), pp. 1-48 : 15

Batrachospermum helminthosum Bory

Chaugule 2004, p. 68 (misspelled as B. “helminthosporum” Bory).

Distribution in India: Maharashtra (Dhudsagar, near Castle rock).

Notes: The Indian specimens were neither described nor illustrated in detail. Assuming that the Indian specimens belong to B. helminthosum , Chaugule’s listing is the first report of this species in India. It is a world-wide species in distribution and studied in details ( Vis et al. 2001, 2005; Hall & Vis 2002; Chiasson et al. 2003; Agostinho & Necchi 2014). Hanyuda et al. (2004) studied the biogeography and taxonomy of several B. helminthosum populations in Japanese streams. They showed two distinct clades, but with differences in the haplotypes. Importantly, they concluded that the differences between the North American and Japanese haplotypes may be the result of continental drift and the ensuing seclusion during the Mesozoic era. Since the Indian sub-continent forms a part of the original Gondwana landmass, it will be interesting to know in future studies to which of the 2 clades or other clade the Indian specimens belong.