Diversity, phenomenology and epidemiology of epiphytism in farmed Gracilaria chilensis (Rhodophyta) in northern Chile

By P. Leonardi, A. Miravalles, S. Faugeron, V. Flores, J. Beltrán, J. Correa. 2006

93 citations recorded by the source corpus.

This study identified the most common epiphytes infecting the algal host Gracilaria chilensis on a farm in northern Chile. Simultaneously, the types of host–epiphyte interfaces were characterized and their relative abundance and temporal variability were monitored. Five types of anatomical relationships were detected. Infection type I included the epiphytes weakly attached to the surface of the host and not associated with damage of host tissues (i.e. Hincksia mitchelliae, H. granulosa and Ectocarpus acutus). Infection type II included those epiphytes strongly attached to the surface of the host but not associated with any host tissue damage (i.e. Acrochaetium sp., Antithamnionella sp. and Colpomenia sinuosa). Infection type III included all the epiphytes that penetrated the outer layer of the host wall without damaging its cortical cells (i.e. Xenococcus sp. and Sahlingia subintegra). Infection type IV included epiphytes penetrating deep into the host cell wall, disorganizing the cortical tissue (i.e. Ulva lactuca and Acrosorium corallinarum). Infection type V included epiphytes that penetrated deeply into the cortex, reached the medullary tissue and caused destruction of the host's cells in the area around the infection (i.e. Ceramium rubrum and Polysiphonia harveyi). Prevalence varied with time and with infection type, with types II and III reaching up to 80% and 90% of the thalli respectively. Severity of epiphyte infection was similar to the distribution of infection prevalence, with crustose epiphytes colonizing up to 80% of the host surface.

Subfields: Ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Oceanography

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/c95555064385d75c1b754f3f745951307c6f29a2

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Ecology

In Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

In Oceanography

Citations in the corpus

SPORE RELEASE IN ACROCHAETIUM SP. (RHODOPHYTA) IS BACTERIALLY CONTROLLED 1 (2007, background): “Aquaculture of Gracilaria chilensis is often marred by epiphytism, which decreases both yield and the quality of the extracted agar (Kuschel and Buschmann 1991, Buschmann and Gomez 1993, Westermeier et al. 1993, Buschmann et al. 1997, Leonardi et al. 2006).”
The Antifouling Defence Mechanisms of Marine Macroalgae (2014, background): “However, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that a wide diversity of epibionts may directly damage the thallus surface of algae (e.g. Gonzalez & Goff, 1989; Leonardi et al., 2006; Rawlence & Taylor, 1972) or at least alter or disorganise the thallus of algae at the attachment site (Muñoz & Fote”