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| Lobophora lewmanomontiae A. M. Klomjit, J. Praiboon & N. Muangmai sp. nov. Lobophora ogawae A. M. Klomjit, C. W. Vieira & N. Muangmai sp. nov. Lobophora thiemmedhii A. M. Klomjit, C. W. Vieira & N. Muangmai sp. nov. Lobophora velasquezii A. M. Klomjit, S. G. A. Draisma & N. Muangmai sp. nov. in Klomjit, Draisma, Praiboon, Jurejan, Sutti, Sun, Vieira et Muangmai, 2026. |
ABSTRACT
Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) is an ecologically important seaweed genus in tropical and subtropical marine ecosystems. This alga exhibits cryptic diversity and morphological plasticity, which require taxonomic delineations that primarily depend on DNA analyses, complemented by morphological and ecological data. Species diversity and distribution within Southeast Asia remain understudied compared to well-documented regions such as the Caribbean and the western Pacific. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the genus Lobophora along the east coast of Thailand, integrating DNA-based surveys with morphological analyses. Extensive sampling across the Gulf of Thailand revealed 14 well-supported monophyletic clades of Lobophora. Among these, we described four new species (L. lewmanomontiae sp. nov., L. ogawae sp. nov., L. thiemmedhii sp. nov., and L. velasquezii sp. nov.) and reported three new national records (L. abscondita, L. henae, and L. quangtriensis), thereby bringing the Thai total to 21 species. When combined with previous records, 30 species have now been recorded from Southeast Asia, with 12 of which are endemic to the region. This study also emphasizes the importance of extensive sampling across broader areas, which enhances our understanding of biogeographic distributions and their implications for coastal ecosystem management.
Key words: DNA barcoding; Gulf of Thailand; macroalgae; Phaeophyceae; phylogeny; species diversity; taxonomy
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| In situ photographs of four new Lobophora species from east coast of Thailand. (A) Lobophora lewmanomontiae sp. nov. (THNHM-P-2021-0314). (B) Lobophora ogawae sp. nov. (THNHM-P-2021-0310). (C) Lobophora thiemmedhii sp. nov. (THNHM-P-2022-02470). (D) Lobophora velasquezii sp. nov. (THNHM-P-2022-0237). Scale bars represent: A, 3 cm; B, 1 cm; C & D, 2 cm. |
Lobophora lewmanomontiae A. M. Klomjit, J. Praiboon & N. Muangmai sp. nov.
Lobophora ogawae A. M. Klomjit, C. W. Vieira & N. Muangmai sp. nov.
Lobophora thiemmedhii A. M. Klomjit, C. W. Vieira & N. Muangmai sp. nov.
Lobophora velasquezii A. M. Klomjit, S. G. A. Draisma & N. Muangmai sp. nov.
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| Ex situ photographs, transversal (Top) and longitudinal (Bottom) section on holotype specimens. (A–C) Lobophora lewmanomontiae sp. nov. (D–F) Lobophora ogawae sp. nov. (G–I) Lobophora thiemmedhii sp. nov. (J–L) Lobophora velasquezii sp. nov. Scale bars represent: A, 2 cm; D & J, 0.5 cm; G, 1 cm. |
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| Distribution pattern of Lobophora species along the east coast of Thailand. The black lines on the map represent the geographic borders of Thai province. The marine territories of the provinces where Lobophora species were identified, are highlighted in colors other than blue. The black dots indicated specific locations where Lobophora samples were collected. The numbers in parentheses next to the species names indicate the number of samples identified in each province. The table on the right lists the Lobophora species found in each province, with circles indicating species presence. Provinces ranked left to right by geographic location starting from east to west and then north to south. |
Anirut Klomjit, Stefano G. A. Draisma, Jantana Praiboon, Narapat Jurejan, Suttikarn Sutti, Zhongmin Sun, Christophe Vieira and Narongrit Muangmai. 2026. A Survey along the East Coast of Thailand reveals High Diversity in the Genus Lobophora (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae): with the Description of Four New Species. Algae. 41(1); 77-94. DOI: doi.org/10.4490/algae.2026.41.2.2 [March 15, 2026]
