DNA barcoding of marine algae from Malta: new records from the central Mediterranean

The heterokont benthic multicellular algae Schizocladia ischiensis E.C. Henry, K. Okuda et H. Kawai (Schizocladiophyceae), Hecatonema terminale (Kützing) Kylin and Striaria attenuata (Greville) Greville (Phaeophyceae) are reported for the first time from waters around Maltese islands in central Mediterranean. They were identified through algal isolation incubated natural substrata, coupled with DNA barcoding targeting biomarkers COI rbcL plus RuBisCO spacer. For three additional brown algae, Colpomenia sinuosa (Mertens ex Roth) Derbès Solier, Asperococcus bullosus J.V.Lamouroux Sphacelaria sp., sequences confirmed previous morphology-based records Malta. This paper also provides an updated literature-based species list of marine macroalgae present