On the basis of 182 living samples from 31 different stations, five Enteromorpha species were distinguished and described for the Netherlands coast within the sec¬ tion Proliferae (Bliding's «Prolifera Groups, here including E. torta ), namely £. simplex (Vinogradova) nov.comb.nov.stat., E. prolifera (O.F.Mull.)J.Ag., E. radiata J.Ag., E, torta (Mert. in Jiirg.)Reinb., and £. ahlneriana Bliding.Unialgal cultures were isolated from part of the samples in order to test the validity of the taxonomic criteria and to test the growth responses to varying salinities.The macroscopic morphology of the plants appeared to present the most distinctive differences between the species within the section.The morphology of the basal parts and the morphology and distribution of filiform branchlets, if present, offered additional criteria, whilst cell sizes and cell arrangements showed some, mostly minor differences.Diversity in the species of the section Proliferae in the Netherlands agrees well with diversity recognized until now.E. simplex, E. prolifera and £. ahlneriana are euryhaline species occurring in euhaline to mesohaline waters.E. prolifera occurs even in oligohaline waters.£. simplex cultures grow well at salinities of 9-34°/oo S, E. prolifera and £. ahlneriana cultures even at 1.5-34°/oo S. The less euryhaline species £. torta and £. radiata occur only on littoral mud and sandy mudflats, £. torta preferring the upper zones.In culture they grow well in salinities ranging from 9-34°/oo S.
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Koeman et al. (1982) studied this question.