Research Article
Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Ag Rhodophyta from Nomal and Naltar area near Gilgit, Pakistan
Department of Fresh Water Biology and Fisheries, University of Sindh, Jamshoro 76080, Sindh, Pakistan
The Rhodophycean Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Ag is a clean water alga that can also thrive in polluted water. However it is sporadic in occurence common in Europe and Northern America (Smith, 1950; Prescott, 1968). It is also reported from riverin water and lakes (Weik, 1977; Kishler and Taft, 1970). In Pakistan Nizamuddin (1988) reported Elangia atropurpurea from hot water falls on way to Askari village in Chitral district. It was found growing attached to stones. Haga and Leghari (1995) described Bangia atropurpurea from Kunhar river at an elevation of 1470 m above the sea level in Mansehra district, N.W.F. Province. Present reports documents the occurence of Bangia atropurpurea from the Noml and Naltar water in Gilgit area of Pakistan.
The material was collected in August 1999 from the water channel and spring water of Nomal and Naltar area 20-25 km away from Gilgit and on the side of Hunza river at an elevation of 145.9 m. Water temperature was in the range of 16.5-19°C and material was fixed in 4% formalin solution. All the drawings were made with the help of camera lucida with magnification 8×40. Original photograph were compared with the work of Starmach (1966, 1977), Prescott (1961, 1968) and Desikachary (1959).
Description
Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C.Ag. ( Fig. 1, 51-54)
(Smith, 1950; Prescott, 1968; Starmach, 1977; Nizamuddin, 1988; Haga and Leghari, 1995).
Filamentous, purpulish red in colour, unbranched 1-3 cm long. Uniseriate becoming biseriate due to longitudinal division. Filament uniseriate; cell 36-39.6 μm broad 9-15 μm long. In apical region gradually 2-4 multiseriate cells series. Biseriate filament 48-52.8 μm broad.
Cells 17.5 μm broad 6-9.5 μm long. Cells short ovate to oblong or ellipsoidal with stellate chloroplasts. Some time basal portion serves as a hold fast.
Habits: It was found growing in cold, clean, soft drinking water associated with Mosses and Cladophora glomerata, Ulothrix zonata and Rhizocolonium fontanum also on the sides of slow water channels coming from spring and melted snow water, water temperature between 16.5-19°C. The specimen having close resemblance those described byNizamuddin (1988) and Haga and Leghari (1995).
Ulothrix zonata: Kuetzing (Ramanathan, 1964) (Fig. 26).
Filament inter mingled with other filament flattened. Cells cylindrical 45-49.5 μm broad, 49-60 μm long chioroplast with many pyrenoids. This species is dominant.
Ulothrix aequalis: Kuetzing (Ramanathan, 1964; Shameel, 1978, Fig. 2).
Thallus Filamentous. Cells 17.5 μm broad and 33-39.5 μm long. Chloroplast broad, griddle shape -containing one or more pyrenoid. It occurs in slow running water with small falls.
RhizocloniuM fontanum Kuetzing (Prescott, 1961) (Fig. 28).
Filamentous branched. Cells cylindrical 27-30 μm broad, 150-165 μm long found attached the bottom and mosses in shallow water and margin of the channel.
Cladophora glomerata Kuetzing (Fig. 45).
This species is very common attached with the stone and mosses on the margin of the channel and water falls.
Cosmarium occulatum Schmidle (Hirose and Yamagishi, 1977)
Colony 30-35 μm long, 25-27 μm broad. Isthmus 7-8 μm. The species found free floating.
Vaucherla amphibia Randhawa (Venkataraman, 1961; Faridi and Hussain, 1977; Sarma and Rattan, 1990) (Fig. 46).
Filament 87-120 μm broad, Oogonia 120-132 μm broad lateral branches with terminal anthridum. Oospore completely filling the oogonia . Oogonia 90-120 μm long 90-112 μm broad dark in colour with small beak. Anthridium terminal slightly curved 40-45 μm broad.
Occurence. Commonly occur on moist waterlogged soil or in water seeps and shallow water channels in Gilgit area, August 1999.
Result and Discussion
The fresh water red alga Bangia atropropurea (Roth). C. Ag was found attached to moss plants and intermingled with the members of Chlorophyta, such as Cladopora glomerata, Rhizoclonium fontanum, Vaucheria amphibia, Ulothrix aequalis, Ulotrhh (zonata, Cosmarium occulatum, Closterium eboracense and blue green algae like Arthrospira platensis, Lyngbya sordia, Lyngbya limnatica, Microcoleus chthonoplasts, Phormidium ambiguum, Phormidium fargile, Oscillatoria princeps, Calothrix clavata while Chroococcus montanus, Lyngbya nordgaardhii found epiphytic belonging to Cyanophyta (Fig. 3-25).
Cymballa ventricosa, Cymballa halvetica, Eipithema argus. Eipithema sp. Anomoeonens sphaerophora and Nivicula sp. to Bacillarophyta. Bangle atropurpurea alongwith all associate species produced best development where bright sunlight is frequently present in clean cold water falls. (Kishler and Taft 1970; Weik, 1977). According to Geesink fresh water Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Ag reproduced by spores. When B, Fusco-purpurea (Dillowyn) Lyngbye could successfully adopt fresh water. B. atropurpura (Roth) C. Ag. also survive to sea water (Geesink, 1973) and also demonstrated that adoptation of Bangia atropurpura to fresh water and marine environment takes places through spore formation (Fig. 26-42).
Bangia fusco-purpurea (Dillowyn) Lyngbye is primarily a marine alga and has been reported from coastal water of Pakistan (Moazzam and Shameel, 1985). Its presence in the fresh waters of Northern areas, Gilgit and, N.W. F, province may be attributed to dispersal by birds (Fig. 43-59).