New findings of freshwater red algae Bangia atropurpurea (Mertens ex Roth) C. Agardh in Serbia

Abstract

Bangia atropurpurea (MERTENS ex ROTH) C. AGARDH (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) is a freshwater red alga. This species is found in many European countries, Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The first finding of B. atropurpurea in Serbia was recorded in 1991 in the Trgoviški Timok River. Since then, this species has been recorded in eight rivers in Serbia. During the summer of 2022, B. atropurpurea was found at four other locations in Serbia (the Božička River on Milevske Mountain, the Bresnička River and the Popovska River on Dukat Mountain and the Svrljiški Timok River on Tresibaba Mountain). All samples were collected from stones or rocks in clean, cold, well-oxygenated and slightly alkaline water. Thalli were dark red, dark olive or brownish, simple, unbranched filaments were up to 10 cm long and up to 90 µm in diameter. B. atropurpurea is a strictly protected species in Serbia. A strong anthropogenic impact on the inhabitats of this species can lead to a decrease in its distribution. It is very important to continue further research of freshwater red algae, which are an excellent indicator for assessing the state and stability of aquatic ecosystems. Acknowledgment. This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 451-03- 68/2020-14/200178) and LinnéSys: Systematics Research Fund.