Caulerpa J.V.Lamouroux, 1809: 332

Classification:
Empire Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Chlorophyta
Class Ulvophyceae
Order Bryopsidales
Family Caulerpaceae

Lectotype species: Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskål) J.V.Lamouroux

Original publication:Lamouroux, J.V.F. (1809). Observations sur la physiologie des algues marines, et description de cinq nouveaux genres de cette famille. Nouveau Bulletin des Sciences, par la Société Philomathique de Paris 1: 330-333, fig. 2, pl. 6.
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Type designated inTrevisan [de Saint-Léon], V.B.A. (1849). Caulerpearum sciagraphia. Linnaea 22: 129-144.
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Taxonomic status: currently recognized as a distinct genus.

Nomenclatural notes
"du grec Caulos tige et Erpo je rampe" [from the Greek Caulos "stem" and Erpo "I crawl"]. - (23 Jan 2011) - M.D. Guiry

Description: Thallus composed of horizontal stolon anchored by colorless rhizoids, bearing erect photosynthetic fronds (assimilators) of extremely diverse morphology including thread-like, blade-like, pinnate, spongy and vesicular structures. Radial branching regarded as primitive, bilateral as more recent, interpretations which are supported by ultrastructure of chloroplasts. Reduction of light also results in change of erect portions from radial to bilateral symmetry. In species such as C. racemosa and C. cupressoides morphology has been shown to vary with habitat, resulting in description of numerous varieties or forms (or even species) which probably should be regarded as ecads. Growth apical and indeterminate. Extent of development of stolons and rhizoids depends on substratum; stolons can reach to 12 m.m-2, but generally are more ramified in epilithic specimens; entire alga can reach to 1m. in length. Thallus composed of coenocytic filaments or siphons; walls principally of -1,3 xylan, with numerous trabeculae (branching cylindrical ingrowths of the wall) traversing the lumen. When wounded, as by grazing fish, blade or rhizome exude a yellowish sticky mass which hardens to a wound plug of carbohydrate in a few minutes. Genus heteroplastic. Large chloroplasts with pyrenoid and starch grains seem to be more primitive, being replaced by small chloroplasts lacking them. Amyloplasts mixed with chloroplasts. Isolated chloroplasts survive and divide in vitro for more than 2 weeks. Reproduction probably primarily by fragmentation of stolon. Holocarpic anisogamous sexual reproduction described for some species. Meiosis, where examined, occurs at gametogenesis with formation of gametes in unmodified areas of the thallus, without separation by cross walls; gametes liberated in gelatinous extrusions through superficial papillae. C. okamurai is monoecious, with both sexes separated throughout thallus, whereas C. prolifera is dioecious. Some species of Caulerpa produce the poison caulerpicin, making their use as a food resource hazardous.

Comments: Geographic distribution is global tropical to subtropical, with some species extending into the Mediterranean Sea and temperate regions of Australia. Highest species diversity occurs in S. Australia. Vertical range includes the intertidal to at least -50m; substrata include unconsolidated sand of seagrass meadows and hard surfaces such as coral rock.

Common names

(as Caulerpa)
Japanese: Fusa-iwazuta, Umibudo (Arasaki & Arasaki 1983).

NCBI Nucleotide Sequences

Numbers of names and species: There are 360 species (and infraspecific) names in the database at present, of which 85 have been flagged as currently accepted taxonomically.

Names: ('C' indicates a name that is currently accepted taxonomically; 'S' a homotypic or heterotypic synonym; 'U' indicates a name of uncertain taxonomic status, but which has been subjected to some verification nomenclaturally; 'P' indicates a preliminary AlgaeBase entry that has not been subjected to any kind of verification. For more information on a species click on it to activate a link to the Species database):

References
Famá, P., Wysor, B., Kooistra, W.H.C.F. & Zuccarello, G.C. (2002). Molecular phylogeny of the genus Caulerpa (Caulerpales, Chlorophyta) inferred from chloroplast tufA gene. Journal of Phycology 38: 1040-1050.

Sauvage, T., Payri, C., Draisma, S.G.A., Prud'homme van Reine, W.F., Verbruggen, H., Belton, G.S., Gurgel, F.D., Gabriel, D., Sherwood, A.R. & Fredericq, S. (2013). Molecular diversity of the Caulerpa racemosa-Caulerpa peltata complex (Caulerpaceae, Bryopsidales) in New Caledonia, with new Australasian records for C. racemosa var. cylindracea. Phycologia 52(1): 6-13.

Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

Linking to this page: http://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=32944

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 20 June 2013.

Algaebase taxon LSID: urn:lsid:algaebase.org:taxname:8295