Review of the research on red algae (Rhodophyta) in freshwater ecosystems in Montenegro

Abstract

Red algae (Rhodophyta) are important algal group in freshwater ecosystems owing to their stenovalence in relation to substrate, water temperature, water transparency, current velocity and water quality, and because of that they can be used as a bioindicators of water pollution. Degradation of their habitat (pollution, small hydropower plant, etc.) leads to that Rhodophyta are endangered in many countries or already extinct. Because of that, they have been protected by national legislation in a lot of countries. The freshwater red algae are very poorly investigated in Republic of Montenegro. From 1970 to 2009 only seven taxa of freshwater Rhodophyta were found, at eight localities of rivers and lakes (Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Ag. – Piva River, Tara River and her tributaries; Batra-chospermum sp. – Tara River and tributaries; B. gelatinosum (L.) De Candolle (as B. moniliforme (L.) Roth) – basin of the Piva lake; B. turfosum Bory (as B. vagum (Ag.) Sirod.) – Lim River; Chantransia chalybea (Roth) Bory – Tara River and her tributaries; Ch. hermmani (Roth) Desv. (as Ch. violacea Kütz. – Tara River and her tributaries; Lem-anea fucina Bory – Tara River, Splavište locality). After 2009 no literature data is avail-able. During 2018 we have found thalli of two rare Rhodophyta at new localities in Mon-tenegro (Batrachospermum sp. in Mlinski potok stream in the National park Durmitor and L. fucina in the Tara River, at new locality). These new findings are very important from the aspect of knowledge of diversity, distribution and ecology of freshwater Rhodophyta.