Skip to main content
Log in

Sexual fusion and life history of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) in Dalian, china

  • Published:
Journal of Ocean University of China Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Morphology and life history of a brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) were investigated from 2005 to 2009 in the coastal waters of Dalian, China. The erect thalli collected in the field were tubular, hollow, and commonly constricted at intervals. Ascocysts were presented. Plurilocular gametangia, which were positioned in continuous sori on the erect thallus surface, produced biflagellar gametes. Gametophytes were dioecious and gametes were nearly isogamous. Gametes fusion occurred in three types. Type one, female and male gametes fused directly while swimming; type two, female gamete settled first, with which a male one contacted and fused rapidly; type three, while settling adjacently, a male gamete’s entire protoplast moved slowly into the previously settled female one, with only an empty cell membrane left. In culture zygotes developed into crustose sporophytes that formed unilocular sporangia. Biflagellar zoospores developed into erect thalli that formed plurilocular gametangia. The results indicated that a periodical heteromorphic alternation history with haploid gametophyte generation and diploid sporophyte generation exists in S. lomentaria of the Dalian populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Clayton, M. N., 1976. The morphology, anatomy and life history of a complanate form of Scytosiphon Lomentaria (Scytosiphonales, Phaeophyta) from Southern Australia. Marine Biology, 38: 201–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, M. N., 1978. Morphological variation and life history in cylindrical forms of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyta) from southern Australia. Marine Biology, 47: 349–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, M. N., 1980. Sexual reproduction—a rare occurrence in the life history of the complanate form of Scytosiphon (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyta) from southern Australia. British Phycological Journal, 15: 105–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Correa, J., Novaczek, I., and McLachlan, J., 1986. Effect of temperature and daylength on morphogenesis of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonales, Phaeophyta) from eastern Canada. Phycologia, 25: 469–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, R. L., 1974. Studies on the life history and taxonomy of some members of the phaeophycean families ralfsiaceae and scytosiphonaceae. Ph.D. Thesis, University of London, London, 322pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Den Hoek, C., 1982. The distribution of benthic marine algae in relation to the temperature regulation of their life histories. Biological Joural of Linnean Society, 18: 81–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Innes, D. J., and Yarish, C., 1984. Genetic evidence for the occurrence of asexual reproduction in populations of Enteromorpha linza (L.) J. Ag. (Chlorophyta, Ulvales) from Long Island Sound. Phycologia, 23: 311–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kato, Y., Kogame, K., Nagasato, C., and Motomura, T., 2006. Inheritance of mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes in the isogamous brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Phaeophyceae). Phycological Research, 54: 65–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogame, K., 1998. A taxonomic study of Japanese Scytosiphon (Scytosiphonales, Phaeophyceae), including two new species. Phycological Research, 46: 39–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogame, K., Uwai, S., Shimada, S., and Masuda, M., 2005. A study of sexual and asexual populations of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) in Hokkaido, northern Japan, using molecular markers. European Journal of Phycology, 40: 313–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kristiansen, A., and Pedersen, P. M., 1979. Studies of the life history and seasonal variation of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Fucophyceae, Scytosiphonales) in Denmark. Botanisk Tidsskrift, 74: 31–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kristiansen, A., Pedersen, P. M., and Moseholm, L., 1991. Growth and reproduction of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Fucophyceae) in relation to temperature in two populations from Denmark. Nordic Journal of Botany, 11: 375–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, J. H., Zhang, Y. H., and Yang, Y. Y., 1995. Study of the intertidal benthic algae in the harbour region of Qinghuangdao. Journal of Ocean University of Qingdao, 25(1): 59–67 (in Chinese with English abstract). DOI: 10011862.0.1995-01-010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lund, S., 1966. On a sporangia-bearing microthallus of Scytosiphon lomentaria from nature. Phycologia, 6: 67–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, J., Chen, L. C. M., and Edelstein, T., 1971. The life history of Microspongium sp.. Phycologia, 10: 83–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, Y., 1965. Development of zoospores in Ralfsia-like thallus, with special reference to the life cycle of the Scytosiphonales. Botanical magazine Tokyo, 78: 109–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, Y., and Tatewaki, M., 1975. The life history of some species of the Scytosiphonales. Scientific Papers of the Institute of Algological Research, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, 6: 57–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orfanidis, S., Haritonidis, S., and Tsekos, I., 1996. Temperature requirements of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonales, Phaeophyta) from the Gulf of Thessaloniki, Greece, in relation to geographic distribution. Helgoländer Meeresunters, 50: 15–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parente, M. I., Neto, A. I., and Fletcher, R. L., 2003. Morphology and life history of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) from the Azores. Journal of Phycology, 39: 353–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, E. A., and Murray, S. N., 1997. Patterns of reproduction, genetic diversity, and genetic differentiation in California populations of the geniculate coralline alga Lithothrix aspergillum (Rhodophyta). Journal of Phycology, 33: 753–763.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, P. M., Kristiansen, A., and Moseholm, L., 1987. The effect of temperature on growth and reproduction of Scytosiphon complanatus (Fucophyceae) from Greenland. Nordic Journal of Botany, 7: 729–733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinke, J., 1888. Die braunen algen (Fucaceen und Phaeosporeen) der Kieler Bucht. Bericht der Deutsche Botanischen Gesellschaft, 6: 14–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tatewaki, M., 1966. Formation of a crustaceous sporophyte with unilocular sporangia in Scytosiphon lomentaria. Phycologia, 6: 62–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wynne, M. J., 1969. Life history and systematic studies of some Pacific North American Phaeophyceae (brown algae). University of California Publications in Botany, 50: 1–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhuang, S. H., and Chen, L. X., 2003. Seasonal fluctuation of benthic algae community in the rocky intertidals of Moon Bay, Yantai. Journal of Ocean University of Qingdao, 33(5): 719–726 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shuanglin Dong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, X., Zhang, Z., Dong, S. et al. Sexual fusion and life history of Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) in Dalian, china. J. Ocean Univ. China 10, 170–176 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-011-1791-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-011-1791-8

Key words

Navigation