Taonia abbottiana sp.nov. (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) from the tropical western Atlantic

A new species of brown algae, Taonia abbottiana D.S. Littler et M.M. Littler, isdescribed from the tropical western Atlantic. To date, this is the only member of the genusreported from the region. Taonia abbottiana differs from other species of the genus in having(1) sporangia raised above the surface layer on a stalk composed of two cells, and (2) inaddition having a surface cortical layer of differentiated cells that are smaller than those ofthe medullary layers. Taonia abbottiana has often been confused with Stypopodium zonale,but the two differ anatomically in the development of cells directly behind the growingmargin and, when living at similar depths, T. abbottiana consistently has light coloredconcentric lines, while S. zonale has dark concentric lines.