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Studies of New Zealand Kallymeniaceae have revealed a great deal of diversity, providing new perspectives on relationships within the family and necessitating the establishment of new genera. Based on rbcL, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), psbA sequence analyses and morphological observations, we reassessed the phylogenetic relationships of three endemic species from southern New Zealand. A new genus, Blastophyllis, was established to accommodate two distinctive species, currently known as Callophyllis hombroniana and Callophyllis calliblepharoides. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that these species were distantly related to Callophyllis sensu stricto, including the generitype Callophyllis variegata from Chile. Blastophyllis had compressed thalli consisting of branches with short side proliferations and protruding cystocarps developed on the lateral proliferations. Zuccarelloa gen. nov. was established to accommodate a peculiar species erroneously referred to the genus Gelidium, as Gelidium ...

In order to promote the use of sub-Antarctic macroalgae as food, four species of marine macroalgae: Macrocystis pyrifera, Durvillaea antarctica, Pyropia columbina, and Callophyllis variegata were studied for their nutritional value. They were collected monthly between October and December 2012 throughout the Strait of Magallanes, sub-Antarctic Chile. The chemical composition, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins A and C, and the macronutrient, mineral, and fatty acid content were examined. Ash (15.1–34.1 %) and soluble fiber (26.5 to 40.3 %) were the most abundant in these species. Presence of protein was moderate (8.2–25.0 %), with red alga (C. variegata) having the highest value on dry weight (dw). All algal species had lipid contents of less than 5 % dw. Maximum carbohydrate content was observed in P. columbina (9.5 % dw). Potassium was the most abundant essential element found in M. pyrifera (8.51 % dw), while P. columbina was found to be richest in iron (305.5 ± 5.5 μg g−1 dw) and C. variegata showed the highest contents of Cu (17.4 ± 0.7 μg g−1 dw). The most abundant saturated fatty acids were palmitic (C16:0) and myristic acid (C14:0), with values ranging from 4.33 to 9.22 %. The most abundant monounsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (C18:1ω9). The highest levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid were observed for arachidonic (20:4ω6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5ω3) or EPA.

The monotypic kallymeniacean genus Ionia established as Iona cornu-cervi is endemic to the Sea of Okhotsk. We observed the type material of the species deposited in the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LE, St. Petersburg, Russia) and compared it with fresh collections near the type locality. Analysis of the rbcL dataset revealed that I. cornu-cervi was not distinct from other genera of the Kallymeniaceae but consistently nested within the genus Callophyllis and formed a sister relationship with Callophyllis variegata. Here, we propose the new combination Callophyllis cornu-cervi based on I. cornu-cervi and treat the genus Ionia as a synonym of Callophyllis. Callophyllis cornu-cervi is distinguished by a thallus with many slightly convoluted segments positioned at an angle to each other, forming an erect and more or less rigid plant, and a medulla composed of intermingled large and small cells.

SUMMARY Callophyllis variegata is a red alga that has been exported to Japan as an edible seaweed over the past few years. Available data strongly suggest that after a few years of exploitation of the C. variegata stands in southern Chile, a decline of its abundance seems to be occurring. However, there is not sufficient knowledge available to sustain harvesting strategies or to develop cultivation techniques. This study describes the C. variegata landings in the south of Chile and also provides some basic data on the biology of this species. Experiments related to the cultivation of early developmental stages, frond cultivation under controlled conditions and the regeneration capacity of the holdfast of this red alga are also presented. Spore production occurs mainly in autumn and winter and survival of carpospores decreased as the temperature increased from 8 to 12°C. Survival of tetraspores increased significantly, from 50 to 60% to over 80%, when temperature was raised from 8 to 12°C. Carpospore survival was also significantly affected by the photon flux density. This effect was mainly at 8°C, whereas at 33 mmol m -2 s -1 the survival of the spores is always low. The cultivation of apical portions of C. variegata under laboratory conditions showed that lower temperatures (8°C) significantly increased growth. Salinity and photon flux density did not have an effect on specific growth rate. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that holdfasts can regenerate fronds and that these fronds can be excised and cultivated, and are far more tolerant to environmental factors than the apical portions.

Production of seaweeds in Chile has fluctuated between 74,000 and 322,000 wet metric tons/year during the last 14 years, involving different species of Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta. Among Rhodophyta, the most important harvested species include the carrageenophytes Sarcothalia crispata, Mazzaella laminarioides, Gigartina skottsbergii, Chondracanthus chamissoi, and the agarophytes Gracilaria chilensis and Gelidium lingulatum. Other less important taxa are Gel. rex, M. membranacea, Ahnfeltia plicata, Ahnfeltiopsis furcellata, Porphyra columbina, Callophyllis variegata, Mastocarpus papillatus and Chondrus canaliculatus. Chilean production comes mainly from wild stocks, as at present, cultivation on a commercial scale is restricted to Gra. chilensis. Total landings of Gracilaria currently stand at 120,000 wet tons. Large-scale cultivated biomass of this species, on the other hand, has been the result of a sharp increase in the number of farms, from less than 10 in 1982 to almost 322 in 1996. A basic understanding of key biological and ecophysiological aspects, as well as the availability of propagation methods, permitted the development of large-scale Gracilaria farming operations. However, during the cultivation process, new problems arose for the farmers, such as abrupt production decline, pests and pathogens. Similar key knowledge is lacking for other Chilean Rhodophyta, which creates a bottleneck that prevents the development of seaweed farming activities other than Gracilaria. This situation prevails in spite of the growing pressure on wild stocks triggered by an increase in the demand for raw material by the industry, with the obvious danger of over-exploitation and the resulting collapse of fisheries. Taking the above into consideration, an effort has been made in recent years to provide the basic knowledge necessary for the management and cultivation of some of the most valuable seaweed resources in Chile. Thus, the main objective of this contribution is to summarize the present situation of red seaweed cultivation in the country. We will address this issue by reviewing the landing statistics of these resources, followed by a summary of recent information that favours cultivation. These include propagation methods, culture conditions and techniques, product quality, pest management, strain selection and the diversification of seaweeds currently exploited in Chile.

Unpublished

This paper is a compilation of data from investigations made with marine benthic algae from the Magellan Region that have biotechnological utilization in human consumption or medicine or as a source of phycolloids or food supplements or animal feed. The most important Rhodophyta species are: Ahnfeltia plicata (Hudson) E.M. Fries for agarose production, Gigartina skottsbergii Setchell & N.L.Gardner for carrageenan production, and Callophyllis variegata (Bory de Saint-Vincent) Kützing for human consumption. The most important Heterokontophyta species are: Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh, and Durvillaea antarctica (Chamisso) Hariot for human consumption, alginate production, and as biofertilizer for agricultural crops. M. pyrifera is also used as a food supplement for salmon, chickens, quails, sheep and bovines and for biofuel production.

Data are presented on the taxonomy and the temporal and spatial distribution of the most prevalent epiphytic taxa in a natural subtidal bed of Gracilaria in central-southern Chile. Also, the nature of the epiphyte/basiphyte interface is described. Samples were collected from April 1989 to July 1990 from 2.4 to 8.7 m. The following taxa were identified: Ceramium pacificum (Coll.) Kyl., Ceramium sp., Nitophyllum peruvianum (Mont.) Howe, Callophyllis variegata (Bory) Kuetz., Callophyllis pinnata Setch. & Swezy, Rhodophyllis aff. acanthocarpa (Harv.) J. Ag., Plocamium cartilagineum (L.) Dix., Antithamnionella sp. and Ulva lobata (Kuetz.) Setch. & Gardner. Epiphytism was seasonal; biomass maxima were recorded during the spring and summer from a depth of 6.2 m down. Except for Ulva, epiphyte biomass varied significantly (P≤0.01) with seasons, depths and their interactions. The two species of Ceramium posed the most serious problem because of their widespread occurrence, both seasonally and bathymetrically, and their high biomass, particularly in the bathymetric range in which Gracilaria is harvested. Additionally, profuse epiphytism by three taxe of red foliose algae, Nitophyllum, Rhodophyllis and Callophyllis, was recorded at depths between 7.5 to 8.7 m. However, in spite of the fact that in summer their biomass was significantly higher (P≤0.01) than that of Ceramium, they were of lesser concern because they colonize Gracilaria below the harvestable range of the bed. Damage caused by epiphytes might be a consequence of increased algal drag (by red folioses and Ulva) and weakening of the thalli of Gracilaria by penetration of rhizoids (by Ceramium spp.).

Production of seaweeds in Chile has fluctuated between 120,000 and 316,000 wet metric tons per year during the last ten years. The most important Phaeophyta are exploited for alginate production and as abalone feed. Among the Rhodophyta, Chilean production comes mainly from wild stocks, as at present cultivation on a commercial scale is restricted to Gracilaria. Large-scale production of this species has been the result of a sharp increase in the number of farms. During the last five years an important trend towards diversification of seaweed exploitation and cultivation has developed. The demand for brown algal materials for the alginate industry, abalone cultivation, seaweed flour production for human and animal feeding and the development of novel food products has encouraged the farming of Macrocystis pyrifera and of red edible seaweeds, such as Chondracanthus chamissoi and Callophyllis variegata, is also promoting the development of cultivation activities.

In Chile, the demand of edible seaweeds has increased during recent years and Callophyllis variegata is one of the most demanded species. This study summarizes information on phenology, aspects, in vitro culture and vegetative propagation methods for Callophyllis. Results indicate that spore production occurs mainly during winter, and recruitment of new plants appear in nature in the spring. Culture studies indicate that spores presented higher germination and growth rates at 8° C and 10 to 12 μmol m−2 s−1. Furthermore, these results indicate that this species presents a high potential for regeneration from its holdfast. The manipulation of temperature, light and culture medium enhances the regeneration process and growth of Callophyllis in the laboratory.

The crude polysaccharide from cystocarpic Callophyllis variegata was fractionated with potassium chloride yielding three minor fractions which precipitated between 0.05-0.10 M KCl, 1.20-1.25 M KCl and 1.80-2.00 M KCl, and a main product soluble in 2.00 M KCl. These fractions were analysed and structural analysis of the major one was carried out by methylation, FT-IR and 13C NMR. Fil:Cerezo, A.S. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Matulewicz, M.C. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.