Diversity of Cyanobacterial Genera Present in Cabo Verde Marine Environments and the Description of sp. nov.

The aim of this study was to document the biodiversity of cyanobacteria genera isolated from intertidal and subtidal zones in Cabo Verde. The identification of the strains was conducted using a polyphasic study, comprising 16S rRNA gene maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogeny, 16S rRNA identity (-distance), 16S-23S ITS secondary structure, morphological, and habitat analyses. A total of 51 strains were isolated by micromanipulation and by streaking biomass onto Petri dishes with a solid medium. Seventeen strains were identified as belonging to the genus and five to ; sixteen strains were distributed across twelve genera. Thirteen strains were grouped into eight distinct clades, but could not be assigned to any cyanobacterial genus, indicating that they could be described as new cyanobacterial genera in the future. The phylogenies also exhibited isolates LEGE 181157, LEGE 181224, and LEGE 181227 clustered with , but in a separate clade from the type. The 16S rRNA gene identity values among these new isolates and ranged from 94.4% to 95.5%. The 16S-23S ITS dissimilarity between LEGE 181224 and was 9.4%. Morphologically, these three LEGE strains differ from in that they have trichomes that are never coiled and have diffluent mucilaginous envelopes, whereas has coiled trichomes with firm sheaths. Based on these strains, we describe here a new species of .