The Thallus Characteristics of Some Populations of Chaetomorpha and Rhizoclonium (Cladophoraceae) from the Persian Gulf

Chaetomorpha and Rhizoclonium, two genera of the Cladophoraceae family, are rich in antioxidant, phenolic, and flavonoid compounds that have potential applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. This work examined thallus features in several populations of four Chaetomorpha species and one Rhizoclonium species. This study aimed to look into the morphological and anatomical characteristics of several populations of these taxa along the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea coasts. Good species separation in the studied species was indicated by the UPGMA dendrogram. According to a PCA-biplot of Chaetomorpha and Rhizoclonium based on equivalent morphological and anatomical parameters, the examined species can be distinguished by variables including cell wall thickness, diameter, thallus form, cell shape, and cell length. High agreement between the PCA biplot results and the heat map created using standardized morphological and anatomical features were observed. While CCA analysis of Chaetomorpha showed that the characteristic of cell wall thickness was affected by latitude, tallus form, and cell length were related to the longitude.