SEASONAL GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND MORPHOLOGY OF TWO SPECIES OF PADINA ADANSON: PADINA TETRASTROMATICA AND PADINA PAVONICA FROM THE MANORA COAST, KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The study was an attempt to investigate some biological aspects dealing with seasonal growth and developmental morphology of two dominant species of brown algae Padina Adanson (Pheaophycota, Dictyotales). Manora Island near Karachi was selected as the area for collection of plants known to have very rich algal flora and Padina is one of the prominent and dominant algae at Manora and found to grow on all types of habitats and on each tide level. It is a perennial alga and shows its presence throughout the year. In order to investigate the seasonal growth and developmental morphology, changes in the plant length, breath, presence of vegetative or reproductive plants, percentage maturity of thallus during the different seasons of a year was observed of the two most common species of genus Padina namely P. tetrastromatica Hauck and P. pavonica (L.) Thivy. The peak season for growth and reproduction is winter, whereas plants found in summer were in small size and mostly in the form of juvenile or early mature stage. There was a slight difference in thallus size and reproductive structures (tetrasporophytes or gametophytes) among the two species and between different areas of the shore, but the pattern of growth and reproduction is same. Environmental factors (Mean air temperature and sea water temperature) show significant negative correlation that influence on the growth and development of Padina species.