Growth of a red alga species (Vertebrata lanosa) in lab culture

Abstract

Abstract Vertebrata lanosa is an intertidal red algal species that grows epiphytically on Ascophyllum nodosum, a brown fucoid alga. V. lanosa received culinary interest in the recent years due to its truffle-like taste and it is currently only harvested from natural populations. This study has focused on the growth of the species in lab cultures and investigated the temperature and salinity leading to higher specific growth rate. V. lanosa showed higher growth rate in 10 oC and 30‰. Overall, the study identified optimal temperature and salinity conditions for indoor controlled cultivation of the species and proved that Vertebrata lanosa can be cultivated in absence of its host, A. nodosum. Furthermore, a complete life cycle of V. lanosa has been carried out in culture where all life history phases and stages were observed. Though, to move from experimental culture to a larger scale production, further research is needed both on the cultivation of the species and the biochemical interactions with its host. Acknowledgements