Molecular Analysis Reveals Three Different Padina Species in The
South-East Mediterranean Coast
Abstract
The brown alga Padina (Dictyotales, Ochrophyta) is found worldwide,
predominantly in tropical to subtropical waters. Due to their similar
appearances, distinguishing between different Padina species is
challenging. Historically, morphological characteristics such as the
degree of calcification and thallus color were the primary methods for
identifying and differentiating Padina species, which often led to
misidentifications. The advent of molecular-aided taxonomic
identification has allowed for more reliable classification of species.
In this study, we utilized sequence comparisons of two genes, the
chloroplast rbcL and the mitochondrial cox3, to identify Padina
specimens collected from six sites along the Israeli coast of the
Mediterranean Sea. Our results revealed the presence of three distinct
Padina species: P. pavonica, P. boergesenii, and P. pavonicoides, the
latter of which has not been previously reported in this region.
Additionally, we observed that the distribution of these species along
the shores was not homogeneous: P. pavonica was predominantly found
along the northern shores, while P. boergesenii was mostly found along
the southern shores.