Chlorolilaea pamvotia (Lortou&Gkelis) Lortou & Gkelis 2023: A new record of freshwater green algae (Chlorophyta) in Türkiye

Green algae (Chlorophyta) are photosynthetic organisms, the majority of which inhabit freshwater environments, with only a small proportion found in saltwater. This group represents a diverse range of species. Therefore, due to the morphological similarities and small size of different species, molecular characterization is essential for accurate identification. Molecular techniques, which have become increasingly widespread in recent years, allow for the identification of species that are morphologically indistinguishable or rare. In this study, 18S rRNA molecular sequencing was performed following the morphological identification of green algae isolated from Batlama Stream. The results confirmed that the isolated species was Chlorolilaea pamvotia (Lortou & Gkelis) Lortu & Gkelis, 2023. This marks the first record of this species in the freshwater algal flora of Türkiye.