The genus Cladophora (Chlorophyta) in the littoral of Bahia, Brazil

In this taxonomic treatment of Cladophora, fourteen species are described and illustrated from the littoral zone of Bahia, Brazil: Cladophora aokii, C. brasiliana, C. catenata, C. coelothrix, C. conferta, C. crispula, C. corallicola, C. dalmatica, C. laetevirens, C. montagneana, C. ordinata, C. prolifera and C. vagabunda. Two species have an extended global distribution: Cladophora aokii (Atlantic) and Cladophora conferta (Brazilian littoral zone), whereas C. brasiliana, C. corallicola and C. laetevirens were distributed as far as the northeast coast of the Brazilian littoral zone. The need to review the representatives cited for C. corallicola in the Brazilian littoral zone is clear, given that this analysis has classified herbarium specimens from Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina as C. aokii. The habit, thallus morphology, branching pattern, origin of rhizoids, presence of annular constrictions, diameter and length of cells were important traits in classifying the studied taxa.