Ecology and distribution patterns of Chara connivens (Charophyta, Characeae) on the Canary Islands – the first record from Fuerteventura

Abstract

Abstract The paper presents the first record of a Chara connivens (Characeae) stand from Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain). The species was previously recorded only on Tenerife and Lanzarote, mostly in marine and artificial habitats. Physicochemical parameters of water and morphological features of the thalli and plant community were analyzed. General habitat requirements of C. connivens populations located in Europe, North Africa, and South-West Asia were reviewed. The newly described stand was located in a natural rock crevice that was part of a riverbed in El Barranco de las Peñitas (Penitas Canyon). This habitat was unshaded and filled with brackish water. C. connivens co-occurred with Cladophora glomerata and Ruppia maritima. Our report on the presence of C. connivens in the Spanish territory of the Atlantic Ocean is the first in almost 40 years. The distribution of C. connivens and its plant associations on the Canary Archipelago are poorly explored, which is why this topic requires further research.