SYSTEMATICS, PHYLOGENY AND FLORISTICS A new species of marine benthic cyanobacteria from the infralittoral of Brazil: Symploca infralitoralis sp. nov. Taiara Aguiar Caires • Ce ´lia Leite Sant’anna • Jose ´ Marcos de Castro Nunes Received: 30 November 2012 / Accepted: 22 May 2013 / Published online: 12 July 2013 Ó Botanical Society of Sa ˜o Paulo 2013 Abstract A new species of cyanobacteria is described in detail, showing peculiar ecological and morphological characteristics that distinguish it from other taxa cited for the genus Symploca. This species typically presents thalli forming a mat, filaments curved at their apices, structures similar to ‘‘vacuoles’’ frequently present, and occurrence in the infralittoral habitat. Symploca infralitoralis sp. nov. is the first new marine species described for the infralittoral of Brazil. Keywords Bahia Á Biodiversity Á Infralittoral Á Phormidiaceae Introduction The genus Symploca Ku ¨tzing ex Gomont (Oscillatorialles, Phormidiaceae) is characterized by a compact, woolly stem, composed of parallel or entangled filaments, gener- ally forming upright fascicles. The filaments have an individual sheath, usually thin, distinct and firm, at times mucilaginous, which contain only one trichome. In some species, many empty sheaths may occur in the basal region of the stem, giving it a different coloration from the rest of the mass. The presence of isolated pseudo-ramifications and non-capitate apical cells are other characteristics that are present in this genus. The trichomes present the typical structure of the Phormidiaceae family, with generally iso- diametric cells and radially arranged thylakoids. Repro- duction occurs by formation of hormogonia, from the disintegration of the trichome without help from necridia cells (Gomont 1892; Koma ´rek and Anagnostidis 2005). This genus is reported mainly for aerophytic and fresh- water environments, rarely being cited for marine environ- ments (Gomont 1892; Koma ´rek and Anagnostidis 2005). Gomont (1892) cites only three marine species for France in his monograph on the Oscillatoriales, Symploca atlantica Gom., S. hydnoides Ku ¨ tz. ex Gom., and S. laete-viridis Gom. Geitler (1932) refers to five species for this environment in Germany, adding S. aeruginosa Setchell & Gardner and S. funicularis Setchell & Gardner to Gomont’s list. Besides S. hydnoides, Fre ´my (1939) reports the species S. muscorum Gom. ex Gom. for Indian marine environments. Koma ´rek and Anagnostidis (2005) mention only two marine species in Europe, S. atlantica and S. hydnoides and only four species outside the European continent, S. aeruginosa, S. endolithica Beljakova, S. howei Gardner and S. laete-viridis. For Brazil as well as for Europe, only S. atlantica and S. hydnoides are referred to, and these are T. A. Caires (&) Departamento de Cie ˆncias Biolo ´gicas, Programa de Po ´s Graduac ¸a ˜o em Bota ˆnica da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (PPGBot-UEFS), Av. Universita ´ria, s/n, Feira de Santana, BA 44031-460, Brazil e-mail: taiaracaires@yahoo.com.br T. A. Caires Á J. M. de Castro Nunes Laborato ´rio de Algas Marinhas (LAMAR), Departamento de Bota ˆnica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Campus de Ondina, Salvador, BA CEP 40210-730, Brazil e-mail: jmcnunes2000@gmail.com C. L. Sant’anna Instituto de Bota ˆnica, Nu ´cleo de Pesquisa em Ficologia, Av. Miguel Este ´fano 3687, Sa ˜o Paulo, SP CEP 04301-902, Brazil e-mail: celialsant@yahoo.com.br J. M. de Castro Nunes Departamento de Cie ˆncias Exatas e da Terra, Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Campus II, Rodovia Alagoinhas/Salvador, Br 110 km 03, Alagoinhas, BA, Brazil 123 Braz. J. Bot (2013) 36(2):159–163 DOI 10.1007/s40415-013-0017-2