Gracilaria

''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania.

Taxonomy

''Gracilaria'' contains the following subtaxa:

*'' Gracilaria abbottiana'' M.D.Hoyle
*'' Gracilaria abyssalis'' Gurgel & Yoneshigue-Valentin
*'' Gracilaria aculeata'' (Hering) Papenfuss
*'' Gracilaria aggregata'' Hooker f. & Harvey
*'' Gracilaria ambigua'' Greville
*'' Gracilaria apiculata'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan
** ''Gracilaria apiculata'' subsp. ''candelabriformis'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris
*'' Gracilaria apiculifera'' J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria arcuata'' f. ''rhizophora'' Børgesen
** ''Gracilaria arcuata'' var. ''attenuata'' Umamaheswara Rao
** ''Gracilaria arcuata'' var. ''snackeyi'' Weber Bosse
*'' Gracilaria arcuata'' Zanardini
*'' Gracilaria armata'' (C.Agardh) Greville
*'' Gracilaria articulata'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia
*''Gracilaria ascidiicola'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria attenuata'' (M.Umamaheswara Rao) V.Krishnamurthy
*'' Gracilaria austromaritima'' Przhemenstskaya
*'' Gracilaria babae'' (H.Yamamoto) P.-K. Ng, P.-E. Lim & S.-M. Phang
*'' Gracilaria baiana'' Lyra, Gurgel, M.C.Oliveira & Nunes
*'' Gracilaria beckeri'' (J.Agardh) Papenfuss
*'' Gracilaria birdiae'' E.M.Plastino & E.C.Oliveira
*'' Gracilaria blodgettii'' Harvey
*'' Gracilaria brasiliensis'' Gurgel & Yoneshigue-Valentin
*'' Gracilaria brevis'' W.R.Taylor
*'' Gracilaria bursa-pastoris'' (S.G.Gmelin) P.C.Silva
*'' Gracilaria camerunensis'' Pilger
*'' Gracilaria canaliculata'' Sonder
*'' Gracilaria capensis'' F.Schmitz ex Mazza
*'' Gracilaria capitata'' Zanardini
*'' Gracilaria cearensis'' (A.B.Joly & Pinheiro) A.B.Joly & Pinheiro
*'' Gracilaria cerrosiana'' W.R.Taylor
*'' Gracilaria cervicornis'' (Turner) J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria changii'' (B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott, J.Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria chilensis'' C.J.Bird, McLachlan & E.C.Oliveira
*''Gracilaria chondracantha'' (Kützing) A.J.K.Millar
*'' Gracilaria chondroides'' (Kützing) P.Crouan & H.Crouan
** ''Gracilaria chorda'' var. ''exilis'' Yamamoto
*'' Gracilaria chouae'' Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria cliftonii'' Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft
*'' Gracilaria comosa'' Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft
** ''Gracilaria compressa'' var. ''lyra'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria conferta'' (Schousboe ex Montagne) Montagne
** ''Gracilaria confervoides'' f. ''ecortica'' V.M.May
** ''Gracilaria confervoides'' var. ''ramulosa'' Kützing
*'' Gracilaria coppejansii'' Muangmai, Lewmanomont, Prathep, Terada & Zuccarello
*'' Gracilaria corallicola'' Zanardini
*'' Gracilaria cornea'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria corniculata'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria coronopifolia'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria corticata'' (J.Agardh) J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria corticata'' var. ''cylindrica'' Umamaheswara Rao
** ''Gracilaria corticata'' var. ''linearis'' J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria corticata'' var. ''ramalinioides'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria corymbiata'' (N.Rodríguez de Rios) E.K.Ganesan
** ''Gracilaria crassa'' f. ''conglomerata'' Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria crassissima'' (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria crispata'' Setchell & Gardner
*'' Gracilaria crockeri'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria cuneata'' Areschoug
*'' Gracilaria cuneifolia'' (Okamura) I.K.Lee & Kurogi
*'' Gracilaria curtissiae'' J.Agardh
*''Gracilaria cylindrica'' Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria damicornis'' J.Agardh
*''Gracilaria dawsonii'' Hoyle
*'' Gracilaria debilis'' (Forsskål) Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria dendroides'' Gargiulo, De Masi & Tripodi
*'' Gracilaria denticulata'' F.Schmitz ex Mazza
*'' Gracilaria disputabilis'' (M.Bodard) M.Bodard
*'' Gracilaria disticha'' (J.Agardh) J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria divaricata'' Harvey
*'' Gracilaria divergens'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria domingensis'' (Kützing) Sonder ex Dickie
*'' Gracilaria dotyi'' Hoyle
*'' Gracilaria dumosa'' Harvey & Bailey
*'' Gracilaria dura'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria dura'' f. ''prolificans'' Reinbold
** ''Gracilaria dura'' var. ''fruticosa'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria ecuadoreana'' (W.R.Taylor) E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria edulis'' (S.G.Gmelin) P.C.Silva
*'' Gracilaria ephemera'' Skelton, G.R.South & A.J.K.Millar
*'' Gracilaria epihippisora'' Hoyle
*'' Gracilaria excavata'' (Setchell & Gardner) G.M.Lyra, C.Iha, M.C. Oliveira, J.M.C.Nunes
*'' Gracilaria falconii'' Ardito, Núñez-Resendiz, Dreckmann & Sentíes
*'' Gracilaria fanii'' B.M.Xia & Pan
*'' Gracilaria ferox'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria firma'' C.F.Chang & B.-M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria fisheri'' (B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott, J.Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria flabelliformis'' (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) Fredericq & Gurgel
** ''Gracilaria flabelliformis'' subsp. ''aionana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris
** ''Gracilaria flabelliformis'' subsp. ''simplex'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris
*'' Gracilaria flagelliformis'' (Sonder) Womersley
*''Gracilaria flexuosa'' E.M.Holmes
*'' Gracilaria foliifera'' (Forsskål) Børgesen
** ''Gracilaria foliifera'' f. ''granatea'' (J.V.Lamouroux) Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria fruticosa'' Harvey
*'' Gracilaria galetensis'' Gurgel, Fredericq, & J.N.Norris
*'' Gracilaria gardneri'' (Setchell) Gurgel, J.N.Norris & Fredericq
*'' Gracilaria gigartinoides'' (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria gigas'' Harvey
*'' Gracilaria glomerata'' Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria gracilis'' (Stackhouse) Steentoft, L.M.Irvine & Farnham
*'' Gracilaria gurgelii'' Freshwater
*'' Gracilaria hainanensis'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria halogenea'' A.J.K.Millar
*'' Gracilaria hancockii'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria hauckii'' P.C.Silva
*'' Gracilaria hayi'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris
*'' Gracilaria hermonii'' Millar
*'' Gracilaria heteroclada'' (Montagne) J.Feldmann & G.Feldmann
*'' Gracilaria hikkaduwensis'' Durairatnam
*'' Gracilaria howensis'' A.H.S.Lucas
*'' Gracilaria huangii'' S.-M.Lin & De Clerck
*'' Gracilaria hummii'' Hommersand & Freshwater
*'' Gracilaria incrustata'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria incurvata'' Okamura
*'' Gracilaria indica'' M.Umamaheswara Rao
*'' Gracilaria intermedia'' J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria intermedia'' subsp. ''ganesanana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.Norris
*'' Gracilaria isabellana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris
*''Gracilaria kanyakumariensis'' Umamaheswara Rao
*'' Gracilaria khanjanapajiae'' Saengkaew, Muangmai & Zuccarello
*'' Gracilaria kilakkaraiensis'' V.Krishnamurthy & Rajendran
*'' Gracilaria lacerata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner
*'' Gracilaria lantaensis'' Muangmai, Zuccarello, Noiraksa & Lewmanomont
*'' Gracilaria latifrons'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria longa'' Gargiulo, De Masi & Tripodi
*'' Gracilaria longirostris'' Zhang & Wang
*'' Gracilaria mammillaris'' (Montagne) M.Howe
*'' Gracilaria manilaensis'' Yamamoto & Trono
*'' Gracilaria mannarensis'' Umamaheswara Rao
*'' Gracilaria maramae'' G.R.South
*'' Gracilaria marcialana'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria mayae'' A.J.K.Millar
*'' Gracilaria megaspora'' (E.Y.Dawson) Papenfuss
*'' Gracilaria mexicana'' (Kützing) P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria microcarpa'' Dreckmann, Núñez-Resendiz & Sentíes
*'' Gracilaria microdendron'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria millardetii'' (Montagne) J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''crenulata'' J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''exposita'' Børgesen
** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''latifolia'' Børgesen
** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''linearifolia'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria minor'' (Sonder) Durairatnam
*'' Gracilaria minuta'' Lewmanomont
*'' Gracilaria mixta'' I.A.Abbott, J.Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria multifurcata'' Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria multipartita'' (Clemente) Harvey
** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' f. ''prolifera'' E.S.Sinova
** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' f. ''supernediliatata'' E.S.Sinova
** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' var. ''crispa'' (Clemente) Cremades
** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' var. ''elongata'' (Clemente) Cremades
*'' Gracilaria occidentalis'' (Børgesen) M.Bodard
*'' Gracilaria oliveirarum'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris
*'' Gracilaria opuntia'' Durairatnam
*'' Gracilaria ornata'' Areschoug
*'' Gracilaria pachydermatica'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner
*'' Gracilaria pacifica'' I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria palmettoides'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria papenfussii'' I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria parva'' Freshwater, B.Williamson, P.W.Gabrielson & Margarita Brandt
*''Gracilaria parvispora'' I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria patens'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria pauciramosa'' (N.Rodríguez de Ríos) A.M.Bellorin, M.C.Oliveira, & E.C.Oliveira
*'' Gracilaria percurrens'' (I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria perplexa'' K.Byrne & Zuccarello
*'' Gracilaria peruana'' Piccone & Grunow
*'' Gracilaria phuquocensis'' N.H.Le, N.Muangmai & G.C.Zuccarello
*'' Gracilaria pinnata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner
*'' Gracilaria preissiana'' (Sonder) Womersley
*'' Gracilaria prolifica'' (Kützing) P.Crouan & H.Crouan
*'' Gracilaria protea'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria pudumadamensis'' V.Krishnamurthy & N.R.Rajendran
*'' Gracilaria pulvinata'' Skottsberg
*''Gracilaria punctata'' (Okamura) Yamada
*'' Gracilaria pygmaea'' Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria ramisecunda'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria ramulosa'' (Martius) Greville
*'' Gracilaria rangiferina'' (Kützing) Piccone
*''Gracilaria reptans'' (Weber Bosse) P.C.Silva
*'' Gracilaria rhodocaudata'' Yamamoto & Kudo
*'' Gracilaria rhodymenioides'' A.J.K.Millar
*'' Gracilaria robusta'' Setchell
*''Gracilaria rubra'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria rubrimembra'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria salicornia'' (C.Agardh) E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria salzmannii'' Bornet ex Möbius
*'' Gracilaria secunda'' (C.Agardh) Zanardini
*'' Gracilaria secundata'' Harvey
*'' Gracilaria secundata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner
*'' Gracilaria shimodensis'' Terada, R.& Yamamoto, H.
*'' Gracilaria silviae'' Lyra, Gurgel, M.C.Oliveira & J.M.C.Nunes
*'' Gracilaria skottsbergii'' W.R.Taylor
*'' Gracilaria spinigera'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria spinuligera'' Børgesen
*'' Gracilaria spinulosa'' (Okamura) Chang & B.-M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria srilankia'' (C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia) A.F.Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft
*'' Gracilaria stellata'' I.A.Abbott, Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria stipitata'' A.F.Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft
*'' Gracilaria sublittoralis'' Yamada & Segawa ex H.Yamamoto
*'' Gracilaria subsecundata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner
*'' Gracilaria subtilis'' (B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott) B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria sullivanii'' Yamamoto & Trono
*'' Gracilaria suzanneae'' L.P.Soares, C.F.D.Gurgel & M.T.Fujii
*'' Gracilaria symmetrica'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria taiwanensis'' S.-M.Lin, L.-C.Liu & Payri
*'' Gracilaria tenuissima'' Croaun & Crouan
*'' Gracilaria tenuistipitata'' C.F.Chang & B.-M.Xia
** ''Gracilaria tenuistipitata'' var. ''liui'' Zhang & Xia
** ''Gracilaria tenuistipitata'' var. ''tenuistipitata'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria tepocensis'' (E.Y.Dawson) E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria textorii'' (Suringar) Hariot
** ''Gracilaria textorii'' f. ''tenuis'' V.May
** ''Gracilaria textorii'' var. ''cunninghamii'' (Farlow) E.Y.Dawson
*''Gracilaria tikvahiae'' McLachlan
*'' Gracilaria transtasmanica'' (M.Preuss, N.Muangmai and Zuccarello) G. M.Lyra, C.Iha, J.M.C.Nunes, C.C.Davis
*'' Gracilaria tridactylites'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria truncata'' Kraft
*'' Gracilaria tsudae'' (I.A.Abbott & I.Meneses) I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria tuberculosa'' (Hampe ex Kützing) J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria turgida'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria tuticorinensis'' V.Krishnamurthy & Rajendran
*''Gracilaria urvillei'' (Montagne) I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria usneoides'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh
** ''Gracilaria usneoides'' var. ''succosa'' J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria vanbosseae'' (I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott
*'' Gracilaria veloroae'' E.Y.Dawson
*'' Gracilaria venezuelensis'' W.R.Taylor
*'' Gracilaria vermiculata'' P.J.L.Dangeard
*'' Gracilaria vermiculophylla'' (Ohmi) Papenfuss
** ''Gracilaria vermiculophylla'' var. ''zhengii'' (J.F.Zhang & B.M.Xia) Yoshida
** ''Gracilaria verrucosa'' var. ''procerrima'' (Esper) M.P.Reis
** ''Gracilaria verrucosa'' var. ''ramulosa'' (C.Agardh) M.P.Reis
*'' Gracilaria vieillardii'' P.C.Silva
*'' Gracilaria vieirae'' M.P.Reis
*'' Gracilaria viridis'' A.Sfriso, M.A.Wolf, K.Sciuto, M.Morabito, C.Andreoli & I.Moro
*'' Gracilaria vivesii'' M.Howe
*''Gracilaria webervanbosseae'' Huisman & G.W.Saunders
*'' Gracilaria wrightii'' (Turner) J.Agardh
*'' Gracilaria xiae-abbotii'' G.M.Lyra, J.M.C.Nunes & C.C.Davis
*'' Gracilaria yamamotoi'' Zhang & B.M.Xia
*'' Gracilaria yinggehaiensis'' Xia & Wang
*'' Gracilaria yoneshigueana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris S

Distribution

''Gracilaria'' are found in warm waters throughout the world, though they also occur seasonally in temperate waters. It can not tolerate temperatures below . ''Gracilaria'' are found in all oceans except the Arctic. Its center of diversity is the Western Pacific, where it has been traditionally cultivated as a source of agar.

Use

''Gracilaria'' is used as a food in Filipino, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. In Japanese cuisine, it is called ''ogonori'' or ''ogo''. In the Philippines, it is called ''gulaman'' and used to make gelatin. In Jamaica, it is known as ''Irish moss''. In Korea, it is known as ''kkosiraegi''.

''Gracilaria'' oligosaccharides with degree of polymerization 6 prepared by agarase digestion from agar-bearing ''Gracilaria'' sp. polysaccharides have been shown to be an effective prophylactic agent during ''in vitro'' and ''in vivo'' experiments against Japanese encephalitis viral infection. The sulfated oligosaccharides from ''Gracilaria'' sp. seem to be promising candidates for further development as antiviral agents.

In Japan, ''Gracilaria'' has been used to produce ''funori'' (), an agar-based glue, since the 17th century.

Aquarium trade

''Gracilaria'' commonly appears as a macroalgae for sale in the aquarium trade. It is a highly palatable algae to Acanthuridae, tangs and many other herbivorous fish, and its nutrient uptake ability makes it a suitable choice for a Refugium (fishkeeping), refugium.

Ecology

''Gracilaria'' are susceptible to infection by the Parasitism, parasitic oomycete ''Pythium porphyrae''. Reproduction by ''Gracilaria gracilis'' is supported by ''Idotea balthica'' – the first known case of an animal helping algae reproduce.

References

External links

Gracilaria and its Cultivation
(archived at the Internet Archive)
Gracilaria in the Suria Link Sea Plants Handbook
(archived at the Internet Archive)

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3087307

Red algae genera
Edible algae
Seaweeds
Gracilariales
Edible seaweeds
Marine biota of Asia
Marine biota of North America