Callophycus (Gigartinales, Rhodophyceae) in Natal, with the description of a new species

To date two species of Callophycus were known to occur in Natal, C. tridentifer Kraft and C. densus (Sonder) Kraft, and a third species, C. africanus (Schmitz) Hewitt, occurs in more southern parts of South Africa. Callophycus tridentifer occurs in deep water along the Natalian coast. Recent comparative investigations on C. densus, a species also occurring in subtidal regions, have shown it to have characters in common with C. africanus and the two species are combined. A third species of Callophycus has been found in Natal and KwaZulu, one that occurs mostly intertidally in central and northern regions in this region. Because this species seems to be undescribed it is presented as a new species, C. condominius