Spongites Kützing, 1841
Lectotype species: Spongites fruticulosus Kützing
Original publication: Kützing, F.T. (1841). Ueber die "Polypieres calcifères" des Lamouroux. In: Zu der öffentlichen Prüfung sämmtlicher Classen der Realschule zu Nordhausen ... 1841. (Fischer, K.C.F. Eds), pp. [3]-34. Nordhausen: Realschule.
Request PDFType designated in: Woelkerling, W.J. (1985). A taxonomic reassessment of Spongites (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) based on studies of Kützing's original collections. British Phycological Journal 20: 123-153, 51 figs, 3 tables.
Description: Thalli comprising attached dorsiventral crusts, often with protuberances; or unattached masses of protuberances. Haustoria lacking. Organized into first-order filaments only (monomerous) or both first- and second-order filaments (dimerous). First-order filaments (primigenous filaments) producing second-order filaments (postigenous filaments). Decumbent, arching tiers of cells (coaxial anatomy) and stratified elongate cells (palisade cells) lacking. Outermost walls of epithallial cells rounded or flattened, not flared. Cells in contiguous filaments often joined by cell fusions; secondary pit-connections lacking. Trichocytes sometimes present singly, or in horizontal fields, or vertical rows; occasionally becoming buried below surface. Reproductive cells forming within uniporate conceptacles; columella present or absent. Bisporangia sometimes present. Apical sporangial plugs absent. Gametangia poorly known.
Information contributed by: H.W. Johansen. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2020-01-14 by M.D. Guiry.
Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.
Gender: This genus name is currently treated as masculine.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Athanasiadis, A. (2016). Phycologia Europaea Rhodophyta Vol. I. pp. [i]-xxxxviii, 1-762. Thessaloniki: Published and distributed by the author.
Comments: Some species grow better and are healthier when grazed. Some species (usually as Porolithon) are the main reef-builders on the seaward edges of tropical algal ridges (sometimes in conjunction with Lithophyllum); they are adapted to absorbing great amounts of wave energy and bright light. Some species (as Hydrolithon) are among the deepest seaweeds, dominating reef cover in tropical areas, such as the Hawaiian Islands where 38% of the mean cover at 8-28 m depth. Deepest record of an attached coralline is a population in the Bahamas; genus and species unknown. The name Spongites has not been used much since it was coined by Kutzing. However, recent studies of the type specimen have revealed the nature of the genus and provided the realization that many taxa in other genera belong to a complex of species that should be referred to Spongites. Unraveling the relationships among these species and segregating them into Spongites(or possibly other genera) will be a formidable task.
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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: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=34621
Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 14 January 2020. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 06 December 2023
