A red seaweed Chondracanthus acicularis (Roth) fredericq (Family : Gigartinaceae) in India

Chondracanthus Kuetz. is one of the economically important seaweeds and belonging to family Gigartinaceae of the division Rhodophyta. Although the genus is represented by 22 taxa in the world, in India so far only one taxon Chondracanthus acicularis (Roth) Fredericq has been reported. The species has high potentiality in the manufacturing of Carrageenans which is widely used in food industries for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. Present article highlights the taxonomy and economic perspectives of this species in reference to the Indian coast.