Cystoseira foeniculacea f. latiramosa (Ercegovic) A. Gomez Garreta, M. C. Barcelo , M. A. Ribera & J. R. Lluch

Cystoseira foeniculacea f. latiramosa (Ercegovic) A. Gomez Garreta, M. C. Barcelo, M. A. Ribera & J. R. Lluch

Fig. 7A, B View Figure 7

Cystoseira discors subsp. latiramosa Ercegovic. Basionym.

Cystoseira ercegovicii f. latiramosa (Ercegovic) Giaccone, Cystoseira schiffneri f. latiramosa (Ercegovic) Giaccone. Synonyms.

Morphology of specimens from Pantelleria.

This form is caespitose, attached to the substrate by an irregular discoid holdfast, from which cylindrical and knotty axes originate. The apices of axes are spinose. All branches are flattened, with a central midrib and toothed margins. Branching is sparse and distichous-alternate. During the monitoring activities, this species was found fertile. The receptacles are apical, lanceolate-fusiform, briefly pedicellate, isolated or branched.

Habitat.

C. foeniculacea f. latiramosa was observed during scuba dives at Punta Spadillo and Cala Tramontana, in deep waters (from 18 to ca. 30 m of depth).

Distribution.

This form has been reported from Spain, Corsica, Tunisia, Malta, Italy, Adriatic, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey ( Blanfuné et al. 2022).

Remarks.

C. foeniculacea f. latiramosa is considered a rare seaweed in phase of regression ( Rodríguez-Prieto et al. 2013), due to its distribution in deep environments, which are nowadays particularly subjected to trawling, pollution, deposition of marine litter, over-sedimentation, and competition with invasive alien species. Therefore, the record of this species in the waters of the Island of Pantelleria is particularly interesting and should receive special attention.