Phenetic Studies and New Records of Sargassum Species (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) from the Arabian Gulf Coast of Saudi Arabia

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1 Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 2 (3): , 2009 ISSN IDOSI Publications, 2009 Phenetic Studies and New Records of Sargassum Species (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) from the Arabian Gulf Coast of Saudi Arabia Mohamed S.M. Abdel-Kareem Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt Abstract: The marine algal flora of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf received little attention than other marine water bodies; this may be for many reasons. In this paper descriptions are provided for 16 species of Sargassum collected from different sites along the Arabian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. Of this number, 12 species are reported for the first time as occurring in the Arabian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, including 7 species as new records for the Gulf. Key words: Arabian (Persian) Gulf Saudi Arabia Sargassum INTRODUCTION and described. Of this number, 12 species were shown to be reported for the first time as occurring in the Arabian Approximately, a total of twelve papers, based on Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, including 7 species as new taxonomic source, were published dealing with the marine records for the Gulf. algal flora of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf [1-12]. Only three papers of these were on the Saudi Arabian coasts METHODOLOGY [6, 7, 11]. In addition, Basson, 1992 [13] provided a checklist of the marine algae of the Arabian Gulf in which On a field work algal collections were obtained from he reported a total of 207 taxa. Few other papers dealing 6 localities along the eastern coast of the Arabian Gulf of with marine ecology, some uses and chemical composition Saudi Arabia (Map 1) namely: Ras Tanura, Safwah, Al of some algae from the Arabian Gulf were published. Qatif, Sayhat, Ad Dammam and Al Aziziyah. Specimens El Mohsen and Khoja [14] in their paper on certain were collected in different seasons during the years algenophytes from Saudi Arabia, identified their collected The collected samples were processed as herbarium taxa to the genus level only. Kamel [15] analyzed three specimens on the same day of collection; others were species from Kuwait coastal area for their chemical preserved in 5% formalin in sea water. composition. McCain [16] and McCain et al. [17] In addition to the previous mentioned articles, the presented two publications on marine ecology of following references were consulted for the identification Saudi Arabia as a part of the series "Fauna of Saudi of the species: Agardh, [21-23], Børgesen, [24]; Børgesen Arabia". Basson [18] discussed in a short note the use of and Fremy, [25]; Nasr, [26]; Taylor, [27-29], Mohsen, [30]; some marine green algae as bait for fish. Heiba et al. [19] Abbott and Hollenberg, [31]; Aleem, [32] and Lipkin and screened 23 algal species from Qatar for alkaloids, Silva [33]. coumarins, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. They also determined moister, ash, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, RESULTS mineral and trace element content in these algal species. Recently, Al-Homaidan [20] studied the ability of using A single asterisk (*) denotes a species not previously 4 species of brown algae as biomonitors of heavy metal recorded for the Arabian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, while pollution along the Saudi Coast of the Arabian Gulf. two asterisks (**) denote a first record of the species for In this paper a total of 16 species of Sargassum the Arabian Gulf. References after the name of the species (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) collected from different sites refer to the publication(s) that reported the species in the along the Arabian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, identified Saudi Arabia and/or the Gulf. Corresponding Author: Dr. Mohamed S. M. Abdel-Kareem, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt 173

2 Sargassum angustifolium (Turner) (Plate 1, c): Endlicher and Diesing [1], Børgesen [2], Newton [4] (as Sargassum flexile Greville), Nizamuddin and Gessner [5], Basson [6], Jones [8], Al-Hasan and Jones [10], De Clerck and Coppejans [11], Basson [13], Al-Homaidan [20]. Thallus up to 25 cm long, attached to the substratum by a small perennial holdfast, 1 mm in diameter. Phylloids narrow, simple, linear, 1-3 mm broad, 1-5 cm long, slightly stalked, alternate, distantly serrate or rarely smooth margins. Cryptostomata irregularly placed around the inconspicuous midrib. Vesicles pedicellate, spherical, 2-4 mm in diameter, stalk up to 3 mm long. Receptacles in axillary clusters, simple, 0.2 mm broad, up to 3 mm long. Map 1: Study area and localities of collection (solid boxes) Sargassum acinaciforme Montagne (*) (Plate 1,a) Børgesen [2], Basson [13] Thallus erect, up to 30 cm long, attached to the substratum by a small discoid holdfast up to 1 cm in diameter. Branches erect, alternate or irregularly arranged, up to 10 cm long. Phylloids were mainly lanceolate but may be linear-lanceolate, margins were toothed or serrate, without midrib, 2-4 cm long, 2-4 mm wide. Cryptostomata were conspicuous, numerous and scattered. Vesicles were small, mostly ovate or subspherical, 2-3 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, tapering towards the apex, with somewhat flattened stalk. Few vesicles borne an apical spine 1-5 mm in length. Receptacles branched, reached 15 mm in length. Sargassum agardhianum (**) (Plate 1, b): Thallus up to 25 cm tall, attached to the substratum by irregular, lumpy holdfast, the basal portions perennial. Branches few to many, from basal area, 1 mm diameter, with clusters of branchlets. Phylloids alternate to radial, linear-lanceolate with slightly toothed margins, small, 3-15 mm long and mm wide. Cryptostomata inconspicuous. Vesicles spherical or slightly ellipsoid, smooth or toothed, mm long and 1-2 mm wide, on very short pedicles. Receptacles irregularly forked, with numerous conspicuous conceptacles when sectioned. Sargassum boveanum. J. Agardh (Plate 1, d): Børgesen [2], Newton [4], Nizamuddin and Gessner [5], Basson [6], Jones [8], Basson et al. [9], De Clerck and Coppejans [11], Basson [13], McCain et al. [17], Heiba et al. [19]. Thallus up to 50 cm high, main branches up to 30 cm long, erect, attached to the substratum by discoid holdfast 1 cm in diameter. Axes of main branches were cylindrical, up to 1 mm in diameter, giving rise to side branchlets. Side branchlets alternate, small, short. Lower phylloids of main branches linear lanceolate, apex mostly rounded or tapering, margins smooth or slightly undulate, up to 7 cm long and 1-3 mm wide, with few cryptostomata arranged on the margins. Upper phylloids of the main branches linear, up to 6 cm long, mm broad, cryptostomata inconspicuous. Phylloids of side branchlets linear, up to 4 cm long, mm wide. Vesicles pedicillate, spherical to ovate, smooth, 2-3 mm in diameter. Receptacles in axillary clusters of side branchlets, simple, 5-10 mm long. Sargassum boveanum J. Agardh var. aterrimum Grunow (Plate 2, a): Børgesen[2], Basson [6], Jones [8], De Clerck and Coppejans [11] Basson [13]. Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, attached to the substratum by a small perennial holdfast, 0.5 cm in diameter. Branching of the main axis alternating. Side branchlets alternate or opposite, may obscuring the axis of the branch. Phylloids linear, 5-15 mm long, mm wide, thin, margins smooth. Vesicles subspherical to spindle-shaped, up to 2 mm wide and 3-5 mm long, some with terminal mucron up to 2 mm long. Receptacles in axillary clusters, simple, cylindrical, 2-3 mm long. 174

3 (a) (b) (c) (d) Plate 1a-d: a: S. acinaciforme, b: S. agardhianum, c. S. angustifolium. d: S. boveanum Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh (*) (Plate 2,b): apex which was obtuse, cm long and cm broad. Børgesen [2], Newton [4], Nizamuddin and Gessner [5], Cryptostomata not absolutely conspicuous. Vesicles Basson [13]. Thallus up to 30 cm long, tough, attached to the spherical, up to 3 mm in diameter, pedicellate. Receptacles arise in the axils of the phylloids, simple substratum by a small disc-shaped holdfast up to or branched. 2 cm in diameter, with short stipe giving rise to many branches. Main axis of the branch was cylindrical, Sargassum denticulatum (Forsskal) Børgesen (*) 1 mm in diameter, giving rise to many branchlets, up (Plate 2, c): Basson [13], Heiba et al. [19]. to 5 cm long. Branchlets alternate, basal branchlets Thallus up to 40 cm long, attached to the substratum longer than upper ones. Phylloids oblong-elliptical, by small discoid holdfast. Main axis cylindrical, margins toothed dentate, midrib slightly fainted near the 0.5 mm in diameter. Branches were alternate, longer 175

4 (a) (b) (c) (d) Plate 2a-d. a: S. boveanum var. aterrimum, b: S. crassifolium, c: S. denticulatum, d: S. filipendula. branches towards the base, up to 7 cm long. Phylloids substratum by a conical, lobed holdfast. The main linear, narrow, up to 2 cm long and 1 mm wide, with branches bearing alternate branchlets, up to 5 cm tapering end, margins distantly serrate or dentate. long. Phylloids were alternate, stalked, 1-4 cm long, 1-3 Cryptostomata inconspicuous. Vesicles obovate, up to mm wide, linear-lanceolate, simple or, on the lower 2 mm long and 1 mm broad, few vesicles have apical portions of the plant, not infrequently forked, margins mucrons up to 2 mm long. Receptacles in clusters, were serrate. Cryptostomata were numerous, scattered cylindrical, simple, up to 4 mm long. or crowded around the concpicuous midrib. Vesicles spherical, 2-4 mm in diameter, stalked, stalk up to 4 mm Sargassum filipendula C. Agardh (**) (Plate 2, d): long. Receptacles simple or forked, up to 1 mm broad and Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, attached to the 6 mm long. 176

5 (a) (b) (d) (c) Plate 3a-d: a: S. Acinaciforme, b: S. flavefolium, c: S. filipendula var. laxa, d: S. latifolium var polycarpum Sargassum filipendula C. Agardh var. laxa J. Agardh (**) (Plate 3, a): Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, attached to the substratum by a small lobed holdfast. The main branches bearing alternate branchlets, up to 7 cm long, exceedingly slender and smoother than Sargassum filipendula. Phylloids alternate, with short stalks, shorter and narrower than Sargassum filipendula, up to 2.5 cm long and mm broad, linear, simple, margins were nearly entire or slightly serrate, midrib inconspicuous. Cryptostomata were numerous and scattered. Vesicles were spherical or ovate, up to 3 mm in diameter, with stalk up to 3 mm long. Receptacles were spindle-shaped or spherical, up to 0.8 mm broad and 2 mm long. Sargassum flavefolium Kutzing (**) (Plate 3, b): Thallus up to 20 cm long, attached to the substratum by a small discoid holdfast, 0.5cm in diameter. Main axis was smooth, cylindrical, up to 1.5 mm diameter. Lateral branches smooth, cylindrical, up to 0.4 mm in diameter. Phylloids on lateral branches, lanceolate, may be twisted, on short 177

6 (a) (b) (c) (d) Plate 4a-d: a: S. natans, b: S. palmeri, c: S. platycarpum. D: S. vulgare. stalk, margins were serrate, apex mostly acute. Cryptostomata were few, arranged in one row on each side of conspicuous midrib. Vesiclesb were very few, spherical, up to 2 mm in diameter, stalked, stalk up to 4 mm long. Receptacles were on axillary clusters, simple or furecate, cylindrical, up to 5 mm long. Sargassum latifolium (Turner) C. Agardh (Plate 3, c): Newton [4], Basson [7], Basson et al. [9], Basson [13], McCain et al. [17]. Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, attached to the substratum by a small perennial discoid holdfast, with short and perennial stipe. Lateral branches were short and originate from axils of the phylloids. Phylloids were alternate, lanceolate, with toothed serrate margins, apex pointed or obtuse, 2-4 cm long and cm broad, midrib was partially conspicuous. Cryptostomata were scattered or arranged in rows on the phylloids. Vesicles subspherical to spindle-shaped, 2-6 mm long, 1-3 mm broad, stalked, stalk up to 5 mm long, smooth. Receptacles 178

7 in axillary clusters, cylindrical, mostly furcated, sometimes conspicuous midrib. Vesicles were spherical to ovate, up simple, 1-3 mm long. to 6 mm long and 4 mm wide, stalked, the compressed stalk up to 6 mm long. Receptacles were in axillary Sargassum latifolium (Turner) C. Agardh var. clusters, crowded, closely cymose, the cluster up to 7 mm polycarpum (Figari et De Notaris) Grunow (**) long. (Plate3, d): Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, attached to the substratum by a small perennial discoid holdfast, with short and perennial stipe, giving rise to main axis 3 mm broad, markedly zigzag-shaped. Lateral branches originate from axils of the phylloids, larger than those of Sargassum latifolium. Phylloids were alternate, lanceolate and similar to Sargassum latifolium but narrower, cm long and 1-3 mm broad, margins serrate but with more prominent teeth than Sargassum latifolium. Vesicles were spherical to subspherical, up to 5 mm in diameter, pedicellate, smooth. Receptacles in axillary clusters, cylindrical, Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh (*) (Plate 4, d): Endlicher and Diesing [1], Basson [13]. Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, attached to the substratum by lobed holdfast. Branches usually smooth. Phylloids firm, lanceolate, up to 3.5 cm long and 4 mm wide, margins were sharply serrate, apex usually acute, midrib was conspicuous. Cryptostomata scattered. Vesicles were spherical to ovate, up to 3 mm in diameter, on pedicle up to 3 mm long. Receptacles branched, axillary, reaching a length of 4 mm. furcated, up to 6 mm long. DISCUSSION Sargassum natans (Linnaeus) Gaillon (*) (Plate 4, a): Basson [13], Kamel [15]. Thallus up to 25 cm long, erect, widely branching, tangled, pelagic, without a dominant axis. Annual branches up to 20 cm long with smooth axis, giving rise to alternate branchlets up to 4 cm long. Phylloids firm, linear, apex acute or obtuse, margins serrate, 1-4 cm long, 1-3 mm wide. Cryptostomata scattered. Vesicles subspherical to elliptical, 2-5 mm long, 1-3 mm broad, stalked, stalk up to 5 mm long, typically mucronate, tipped with a long spine. Receptacles were in axillary clusters, cylindrical, simple or furcated, up to 3 mm long. Sargassum palmeri Grun (**) (Plate 4, b): Thallus perennial, up to 20 cm long, attached to the substratum by a solid, discoid holdfast. Main axis terete or slightly angled, rough or may be spiny. Phylloids were alternately dissected into many slightly flattened divisions up to 4 mm long, midrib was inconspicuous. Cryptostomata were usually inconspicuous. Receptacles were usually solitary in phylloids axils, mostly racemose. Sargassum platycarpum Montagne (**) (Plate 4, c): Thallus up to 25 cm tall, erect, attached to the substratum by a small discoid holdfast up to 3 mm in diameter. The main axis was cylindrical, 1 mm diameter. Lateral branches slender, smooth and alternate on the main axis. Phylloids scattered or alternate, stalked, lanceolate, up to 2 cm long and 3 mm wide, apex acute, some tapering into a petiole, margins were coarsely serrate. Cryptostomata were large, arranged in a single irregular row on each side of a The marine algal flora of the Arabian Gulf received little attention than other marine water bodies. Basson [13] revealed this neglected attention to several reasons of which: The algae of the Gulf have never been seen to be of great economic value. There have never been a large number of indigenous researchers interested in the marine algae as a field of study. The universities of the area only becoming established within the last 25 years and there is certainly not the great diversity of taxa as is found in other seas and oceans. The results of this collection revealed a total of 16 Sargassum species, 5 of them were not recorded before in the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia (Sargassum acinaciforme Monntagne, Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh, Sargassum denticulatum (Forsskal) Børgesen, Sargassum natans (Linnaeus) Gaillon, Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh). However, 7 species have never been recorded before in the Arabian Gulf (Sargassum agardhianum J. Agardh, Sargassum filipendula C. Agardh, Sargassum filipendula C. Agardh var. laxa J. Agardh, Sargassum flavefolium Kutzing, Sargassum latifolium (Turner) C. Agardh var. polycarpum (Figari et De Notaris) Grunow, Sargassum palmeri Grun, Sargassum platycarpum Montagne). Silva et al. [34] point out that the name Sargassum vulgare is traditionally given to a common species of the tropical Atlantic ocean and at the same time of its publication the name was superfluous and hence illegimate. Endlicher and Diesing [1] reported two varieties of this species, Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh var. 179

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