New record of the non-native seaweed Gracilaria parvispora in Baja California - A note on Vergara-Rodarte et al. (2016)

The delimitation of species in the Gracilariales is often difficult due to the lack of diagnostic morphological characters. As a result, non-native species are often misidentified without the use of molecular tools. Recently, studies have investigated the agar quality of the dominant gracilarioid species in the Laguna San Ignacio in Baja Califronia Sur, Mexico, including Vergara-Rodarte et al., (2016) published in the May edition of Cryptogamie, Algologie. The species has been reported as Gracilaria pacifica, G. vermiculophylla and Gracilariopsis sp. Using a combination of three mitochondrial and plastid markers, we identified this species as G. parvispora, extending the known distribution of this non-native species in Baja California. Due to the potential of G. parvispora as a source of agar, more detailed studies of on the invasion history and surveys are necessary in the eastern Pacific to determine its current distribution and impacts on the native biodiversity.