Rhodogorgonales

The Rhodogorgonales are an order of red algae, a sister group to the corallines. They are always thalloid and calcified; their calcification is very different from the corallines, as individual calcite crystals are deposited in the cell wall of specialised cells; this suggests that the evolution of calcification may have been independent from the corallines.^[2] They have no fossil record.^[3]

Rhodogorgonales
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Archaeplastida
Division:	Rhodophyta
Class:	Florideophyceae
Subclass:	Corallinophycidae
Order:	Rhodogorgonales S. Fredericq, J.N. Norris & C. Pueschel
Families[1]
See text

Unlike the corallinales and sporolithales, their closest relatives, these thalli are loose aggregations of hair-like cells, with the middle portion formed of rhizoid-like filaments. Spores are borne on the end of hair-like cells (cortical fascicles).^[4]

Images can be seen in "Rhodogorgon ramosissima J. N. Norris & Bucher (Rhodogorgonales, Rhodogorgonaceae, Rhodophyta), registro nuevo para la Costa Venezolana". Acta Bot. Venez. 29 (2). 2006.

Families

As accepted by AlgaeBase;^[1]

• Family Elianellaceae B.Granier (13 species)
  • Anchisolenopora Vachard, P.Cózar, Aretz & Izart - 1 sp.
  • Elianella Pfender & Basse - 1 sp.
  • Marinella Pfender - 2 spp.
  • Parachaetetes Deninger - 8 spp.
  • Solenoporella Shuysky - 1 sp.

• Family Rhodogorgonaceae S.Fredericq, J.N.Norris & C.Pueschel (5 species)
  • Renouxia Fredericq & J.N.Norris, 1995^[5] - 2 spp.
  • Rhodenigma J.A.West, Verbruggen & Loiseaux - 1 sp.
  • Rhodogorgon J.N.Norris & K.E.Bucher, 1989^[6] - 2 spp.