Spatial and temporal variation in the output of gametangia of the exotic macroalga Codium fragile subsp. tomentosoides (Chlorophyta: Bryopsidales) in the subtidal zone of Caldera, Chile Variación espacial y temporal en la producción de gametangios en la m

Abstract

The macroalga Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides is characterized by exclusive asexual reproduction through parthenogenesis. We describe the spatial (within thallus) and temporal (seasonal) variability in the abundance of reproductive structures (gametangia) in specimens of C. fragile collected from the subtidal zone of Caldera, Chile. Gametangia are more frequent on newer sections of the thallus (apical and middle), increasing during austral springsummer, and with thallus size (i.e., length and number of dichotomies). Given that apical fragments are highly buoyant and thallus fragmentation increases during the summer, drifting fragments may be important dispersal vectors contributing to the spread of this species to new sites.