MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF SARGASSUM SPECIES OF OMAN SEA COASTS

Sargassum is one of the morphologically most complicated phaeophycean genera and represents the most species-rich genus of the brown algal order Fucales (Phaeophyceae). Sargassum is one of economically important brown algae in the Gulf of Oman. In this study, 23 characters were studied in 15 populations of 6 species of Sargassum. Unweight paired groups using average mean (UPGMA), ward clustering methods, principal components analysis (PCA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) were performed to group the species based on morphological characters. Statistical analyses indicated that characters such as branches of receptacle, leaf apex and receptacles are the most important diagnostic characters in intera-generic variation. In general, two major clusters were formed. The species were well separated in these clusters and the UPGMA tree was able to show the relationships among the species. The species relationships in these clusters were mostly in consistent of the current classifications of this genus.