Adv. Mar. Biol., Vol. 17, 19S0, pp. 1-327. 



ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF HALIMEDA: 

 PRIMARY PRODUCER OF CORAL REEFS 



Llewellya Hillis-Colinvaux 



Department of Zoology, The Ohio State University, 

 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. 



I. Morphological Definition of Halimeda . . . . . . . . . . 2 



A. The basic plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 



B. Wall structure in a cellulose-free plant . . . . . . . . 10 



C. Inside the filament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 



D. Microstructure of rhizoidal filaments . . . . . . . . . . 16 



E. Summary : facets of the unusual structure and chemistry of Halimeda 16 

 II. A Brief History of Halimeda Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 



A. Ellis: microscopy and the plant or animal question. . . . . . 19 



B. Halimeda discoveries: the beginnings of critical taxonomy . . 24 



C. The discovery at Funafuti : the reef-building capabilities of Halim.eda 25 



D. The taxonomy of Barton . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 



E. Howe, Borgesen, Taylor and Hillis : the modern taxonomy .. 29 



F. Summary : the evolution of Halim,eda studies . . . . . . 33 



III. Basis of the Taxonomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 



A. The species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 



B. The genus and its sections . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 



C. The genus HalUneda in higher taxonomy . . . . . . . . 58 



D. Sunnnary : the identification and classification of i/a^Mneda .. 71 



IV. Taxonomy of the Genus Halimeda Lamouroux . . . . . . . . 72 



A. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 



B. Species of the genus Halimeda Lamouroux, with index . . . . 84 



C. Generic description oi Halimeda Lamouroux, 1812 . . . . . . 85 



D. Description of the sections . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 



E. Taxonomic key to all species, and list of Indo -Pacific species . . 86 



F. Key to Atlantic species, and list of Atlantic species . . . . 91 



G. Species descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 



H. Species of imcertain systematic position . . . . . . . . 157 



V. Culture 157 



A. Field procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 



B. Basic laboratory procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 



C. Some experiences with Halitneda culture . . . . . . . . 168 



D. Summary of -ffa^imecZa culturing .. .. .. .. ..170 



VI. Growth and Calcification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 



A. Macroscopic growth .. .. .. .. .. .. ..171 



B. XJltrastructural events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 



C. Calcification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 



