Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Alexandria. Egypt and Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Mansoura, Egypt
ABSTRACT
Five operational taxonomic units of the genus Codium (Chlorophyceae) from the marine algal vegetation of Alexandria namely, C. elongatum Ag. var. I , C. tomentosum (Hudson) Stackhouse, C. fragile subsp. tomentosoides (Van Goor) Silva, C. cuneatum S. & G., C. elongatum Ag. var. 11, and C. bursa Ag. were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to compare their malate dehydrogenase (MDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), alkaline phosphatase (alk.ph.), acid phosphatase (ac.ph.), and a-esterase (west.) isozymal patterns. Data have been numerically clustered into similarity dendrograms. According to individual and average dendrograms they showed almost two main branches of the dendrogram tree corresponding to two species groups. The first includes C. cuneatum, C. elongatum var. 11, and C. bursa, while the second includes C. elongatum var. I , C. tomentosum and C. fragzle. Such a result needs more investigations. It may point out that biochemicaltaxonomy could play an important role in placing shaky algal classification on a more solid basis.