Catenella caespitosa (Withering) L. M. Irvine

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 : 27

Catenella caespitosa (Withering) L. M. Irvine

Taxonomic synonyms: Catenella opuntia (Goodenough & Woodward) Greville ; Desikachary et al. 1998, Part II B, p. 146. fig. 54 B. (not 53 A, D–H); Mukhopadhyay et al. 2003, p. 72: Catenella repens (Lightfoot) Batters : Santra & Pal 1988, p. 39, Pl. VII, figs 44–47; Mukhopadhyay & Pal 2002, p. 102, Pl. I, d; Mukhopadhyay et al. 2003, p. 72, fig. 14; Sen & Naskar 2003, p. 185, Pl. XXII, fig.137, Photo Pl. XXVI; Mitra et al. 2006, p.2; Bhat et al. 2008, pp. 629–631, fig.3; Chakraborty & Santra 2008, p.329; Banerjee et al. 2009, p. 498; Satpati et al. 2012, p. 47. Pl. 1, fig. D; Pl. 2, fig. E.

Distribution in India: Maharashtra (Ratnagiri from an estuary near the sea); West Bengal: (Sundarbans: Prendice Island and Sajnakhali growing on roots of halophytes, Basanti, Bakkhali and Jharkhali on mangroves in the upper littoral region; Marichjhapi in the east; Canning, Gosaba and Jharkali in the central and Patharpratima & Danchi Island in the western part of Sundarbans; Gosaba; Chhotomollakhali and Bali in the eastern part of Sundarbans; Hamanbere Island, brackish water; Matla-Bidya estuary).

Notes: We include all the earlier Indian records reported as “ Catenella opuntia ”and “ C. repens ” under Catenella caespitosa following the synonyms proposed by Irvine (1976), followed by Silva et al. (1996) and Guiry & Guiry (2017). Specific distinctions between the three species of Catenella recorded from India ( C. caespitosa , C. impudica and C. nipae ), as judged from the Indian literature, are not clear. All three species are predominatly marine and constitute a major component in mangrove areas throughout the world. There are also reports of Catenella impudica , the most well-known and cosmopolitan species, of its occurrence in freshwaters in French Guyana ( Ott 2009, p. 533). Several publications from India on material identified as “ C. repens ” investigated (i) chemical analysis of trace and minor elements contents (Sree-Kumaran et al. 1969), (ii) calcium, magnesium and strontium contents ( Gogate et al. 1975), (iii) uptake of nitrate and ammonium under desiccation induced stress ( Datta & Datta 1999), (iv) the high contents of the anti-oxidant Astaxanthin (carotenoid pigment) Mitra et al. (2006), (v) uranium bio-absorption from aqueous medium ( Bhat et al. 2008), (vi) biochemical composition (Chakrobarty & Santra 2008), and (vii) seasonal variation in the biochemical composition ( Banerjee et al. 2009). Since we have not been able to examine the specimens mentioned in the above studies, whether these specimens are referable to the same species or to a mixture of species is not clear.