Porphyra pulchella sp. nov. Ackland, West, Scott and Zuccarello was obtained at Mimosa Rock National Park, New South Wales; Westgate Bridge, Victoria, Australia; and Waihau Bay, North Island, New Zealand. It occurs mainly in mangrove habitats and is very small (± 1 mm) in field collections. In laboratory culture at 21 ± 2°C tiny blades (0.5-3.0 mm) reproduced exclusively by archeospores liberated from vegetative cells of the upper sector of the blades. The archeospores displayed amoeboid and gliding motility once discharged. At 14 ± 2°C the blades grew to 25 mm and produced longitudinal spermatangial streaks mixed with ‘phyllosporangial’ streaks. The discharged ‘phyllospores’ showed amoeboid motility and germinated forming asexual blades. A conchocelis phase with typical bangiophycidean pit connections was observed in blade cultures after 8-10 weeks at 14 ± 2°C. Conchocelis filaments produced conchosporangia and these released amoeboid conchospores that developed into archeosporangiate blades. Molecular data indicate that all 3 isolates are genetically identical.