New records of Vaucheria (Xanthophyceae) from the Lake Baikal region

Abstract

As a result of the field studies (2019-2021), new data were obtained on the Vaucheria, a genus of yellow-green algae, of the Lake Baikal region. After the studying of 30 fertile specimens from new localities, most of them from close vicinities of Lake Baikal, we identified 10 species. The new records improve the species distributional ranges within the Lake Baikal region, which is particularly important for rare species that were previously known from a few localities, e.g. V. alaskana, V. birostris, V. cruciata, V. megalaversa, and V. prona. Vaucheria uncinata was first recorded from Lake Baikal being occurred in the Pokoinitski bay. A check-list is established for all Vaucheria species, ever discovered in the Lake Baikal region.