The Life History of Rhodochorton membranaceum, an Endozoic Red Alga

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Abstract
Two clones of R. membranaceum Magnus were isolated into unialgal culture from hydroids-collected subtidally in Puget Sound, Washington (USA) during July and Aug., 1972. Tetrasporangia were formed on the upright branches. The tetraspores produced 1-4 germ tubes which gave rise to a basal system. When these basal filaments contacted chitin, they penetrated and grew between the layers, forming a distinctive basal system consisting of compressed and lobed cells. No difference was observed between basal systems formed in insect chitin and hydroid chitin. The basal system of plants not grown in contact with chitin consisted of unoriented, narrow, elongate, irregularly branched filaments very different from those of the endozoic system. The plants derived from tetraspores produced tetrasporangia in all conditions tested. No evidence of sexual reproduction was obtained. Although reproductively similar to R. concrescens Drew and R. penicilliforme (Kjellman) Rosenvinge, R. membranaceum appears to be taxonomically distinct because of its endozoic basal system.
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