Coralline Red Algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) of the Faroe Islands: Koraltarar (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) í føroyskum øki

Abstract

A study of coralline red algae, based on extensive collections from the Faroe Islands, has revealed the following species of the subfamily Melobesioideae: Clathromorphum circumscriptum, Lithothamnion glaciale, Melobesia membranacea, Phymatolithon laevigatum, P. lenormandii, P. purpureum and P. tenue. Of the subfamily Lithophylloideae the following species were recorded: Lithophyilum crouanii, L. incrustans, L. orbiculatum, Titanoderma corallinae, T. laminariae and T. pustulatum, the latter with three recognized varieties: T. pustulatum var. pustulatum, var. confine and var. macrocarpum. Furthermore, Corallina officinalis (Corallinoideae) was observed. Three of the taxa are new records for the Faroe Isles. The distribution of the recorded species is discussed in relation to other recent studies of coralline red algae in the northeastern North Atlantic, (Denmark, the British Islands and a district in Western Norway).