Seasonal variations of growth in the red alga Chondrus crispus on the Atlantic French coasts. I. A new approach by fluorescence labelling

Abstract

The seasonal variations of growth in Chondrus crispus Stackhouse were studied by using a vital, fluorescent, cell-wall stain called Cellufluor. In situ growth is not only apical but is extended at least to the upper half of the thallus; it is slow at the beginning of spring, increases towards the end, slows down at the beginning of summer, and increases again to reach a maximum in autumn. It is minimal during winter. The same pattern of growth occurs for the two dissimilar studied forms of the alga, although the rate is greater in the infralittoral than in the midlittoral form.