Taxonomic revision of Dictyosiphon (Ectocarpales s.l., Phaeophyceae) from the north-western Pacific, with descriptions of D. asiaticus sp. nov. and D. sparsus sp. nov

ABSTRACT Dictyosiphon asiaticus sp. nov. and D. sparsus sp. nov. are newly described from Japan and the north-western Pacific. Molecular phylogenies based on the mitochondrial cox1 and cox3 and chloroplast atpB, psaA, psbA and rbcL DNA sequences revealed that Dictyosiphon comprises at least seven lineages worldwide. Japanese Dicytosiphon species formed two clades with high support and were sister to a clade including specimens from the cold-water regions of the northern Pacific, the Arctic, and the north-western Atlantic. Specimens of one of the Japanese clades (= D. asiaticus sp. nov.) were morphologically similar to D. foeniculaceus (generitype described from Scotland, UK), having densely branched thalli with fine branches, and were epiphytic on Scytosiphon spp. and Chordaria spp. Specimens of the other Japanese clade (= D. sparsus sp. nov.) were morphologically similar to D. chordaria, having somewhat thicker, sparse branches with blunt tips, and were epiphytic on Chordaria spp. We assign the third clade distributed on both sides of the North Pacific to D. sinicola, which was described from Washington, USA, for the following reasons: Dictyosiphon specimens in the region having relatively densely branched thalli with fine tips have been identified as D. foeniculaceus, and D. sinicola was distinguished from them by its remarkably larger thallus, while anatomically they are very similar. However, D. foeniculaceus is not widely distributed in the region, with only one genetic lineage (species) reported, so that those two taxa are considered to be ecotypes of the same species, and D. sinicola is the valid name for the taxon.