AARI Scientist Discovers a New Genus and Species of Freshwater Red Alga (Balakrishnania sundararajii B.B. Chaugule & U Elaya Perumal) from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India
AARI Scientist Discovers a New Genus and Species of Freshwater Red Alga (Balakrishnania sundararajii B.B. Chaugule & U Elaya Perumal) from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India
The discovery of Balakrishnania sundararajii marks an important contribution to freshwater algal taxonomy and the documentation of India's unexplored algal diversity.
Annakkili Amma Research Institute (AARI), Chennai, is delighted to share an important taxonomic achievement involving its scientists: the description of Balakrishnania sundararajii B.B. Chaugule & U. Elaya Perumal gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and species of freshwater red alga from Maharashtra, India.
The research was published in 2026 in Indian Hydrobiology (Volume 25, Issues 1 & 2, pages 147–158), under the authorship of Prof. B. B. Chaugule and Dr. U. Elaya Perumal, both affiliated with Annakkili Amma Research Institute (AARI), Chennai, and the Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune (the alga was collected during 2013 under the UGC major research Project).
A remarkable freshwater red algal discovery
The Western Ghats, one of India's major biodiversity-rich mountain ranges, provide diverse freshwater habitats that support distinctive algal communities. The discovery of Balakrishnania sundararajii from a forest stream in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra adds to our understanding of freshwater red algal diversity in this ecologically important region. Its specialised epiphytic association with freshwater red algae of the family Batrachospermaceae makes this discovery particularly noteworthy.
The newly described taxon belongs to Bangiophyceae, within the red algal phylum Rhodophyta. It was discovered in a freshwater stream in Kolhapur District, Maharashtra, along the Ajara–Amboli road near Ghatkarwadi village.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of Balakrishnania sundararajii is its specialised epiphytic lifestyle. Unlike many freshwater algae that grow independently on submerged surfaces, this alga grows attached to the thalli of other freshwater red algae, particularly members of the genus Kumanoa (Batrachospermaceae).
The thalli are small, reddish and highly mucilaginous, reaching approximately 5 mm in length. They consist of unbranched filaments that develop from a uniseriate arrangement into multiseriate structures. A specialised, single-celled holdfast enables the alga to anchor itself to the host thallus.
Distinctive morphological and ultrastructural features
The establishment of this new genus was supported by detailed morphological observations and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The study documented several diagnostic characteristics, including:
Diminutive, reddish and mucilaginous filamentous thalli.
Unbranched filaments showing uniseriate to multiseriate development.
A specialised, elongated, single-celled holdfast for attachment to host algae.
An obligate epiphytic association with freshwater red algae, particularly Kumanoa.
Absence of intercellular pit connections.
Distinct reproductive structures, including monosporangia, spermatangia and carpogonia.
Characteristic cellular ultrastructure, including parietal chloroplasts and floridean starch.
The combined morphological and ultrastructural evidence provided the basis for distinguishing Balakrishnania from previously recognised members of Bangiophyceae.
Naming the new genus and species
The generic name Balakrishnania honours Prof. M. S. Balakrishnan (1917–1990), an eminent Indian botanist and phycologist who served as Head of the Department of Botany at the University of Pune (now Savitribai Phule Pune University). He was also the academic mentor of the first author, Prof. B. B. Chaugule.
The specific epithet sundararajii honours Prof. R. Sundararaj, recognising his contribution to phycological research.
Type specimen deposited at AARI
An important aspect of this publication is the deposition of the holotype specimen at the Annakkili Amma Research Institute (AARI), Chennai. The holotype was collected by Dr. U. Elaya Perumal on 1 January 2013 from the type locality in Kolhapur District, Maharashtra, and is preserved at AARI herbarium (A6). An isotype is also deposited at AARI.
The deposition of the type material at the institute represents a valuable contribution to its scientific collections and supports future taxonomic investigations.
Significance of the discovery
The discovery of Balakrishnania sundararajii highlights the previously underexplored diversity of epiphytic freshwater red algae in India. Its specialised association with other freshwater Rhodophyta provides an interesting example of ecological relationships among freshwater algal communities.
The study also demonstrates the importance of combining field investigations, classical taxonomy, reproductive morphology and ultrastructural analysis in recognising and describing new algal taxa. Such research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of India's freshwater biodiversity and the evolutionary diversity of red algae.
AARI's contribution to algal science
This publication represents an important achievement for Annakkili Amma Research Institute (AARI), Chennai, and strengthens its contribution to freshwater algal taxonomy, systematic phycology and biodiversity documentation.
AARI congratulates Prof. B. B. Chaugule and Dr. U. Elaya Perumal on this taxonomic contribution and remains committed to encouraging research and scientific documentation of India's algal diversity.
Educate, Encourage and Promote Algal Science.
Original Research Publication
Chaugule, B. B., & Elaya Perumal, U. (2026). Balakrishnania sundararajii B.B. Chaugule and U. Elaya Perumal gen. et sp. nov. (Rhodophyta, Bangiales) from Maharashtra, India. Indian Hydrobiology, 25(1–2), 147–158. ISSN 0971-6548.
Research institution: Annakkili Amma Research Institute (AARI), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
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