Morphology and distribution of Corallina vancouverensis (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in Northwest Mexico

Abstract

The morphology and distribution of Corallina vancouverensis Yendo was studied in order to determine its distribution limits and morphological variations in the northwestern coast of Mexico. Two hundred specimens were collected and analyzed, as well as samples from several herbaria, representing an overall total of 65 localities. The bibliographic records of this species in the Baja California Peninsula and mainland Mexico were also analyzed. Populations of C. vancouverensis are distributed from Alaska to Las Cabrillas, which is located South of Todos Santos, BCS. Several new localities are recorded for this species in the Gulf of California, and its southern limit in the Northeast Pacific is considered to lie within 23ºN on both sides of the Baja California Peninsula. Furthermore, the taxonomic relationship of this species with C. pinnatifolia and C. fiondescens is questioned based on morphological, ecological and distributional tendencies.