Classification of Algae by F.E.

Fritsch
F.E. Fritsch (1935, 1945) in his book “The Structure and Reproduction of
the Algae” proposed a system of classification of algae. He treated algae giving
rank of division and divided it into 11 classes. His classification of algae is mainly
based upon:
• Number and mode of attachment of flagella in the motile cells
• Thallus structure
• Chemical nature of pigments
• Reserve food materials
• Method of reproduction
• Variation in the life cycles

Eleven classes proposed by Fritsch are as follows:

1. Chlorophyceae (Green Algae) – 9 Orders
2. Xanthophyceae (Yellow Green Algae) – 4 Orders
3. Chrysophyceae (Brown or orange coloured Algae) – 3 Orders
4. Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms) - 2 Orders
5. Cryptophyceae (Green –Red Algae) – 2 Orders
6. Dinophyceae (Brown Algae) – 6 Orders
7. Chloromonadineae (Chloromonads) – 1 Orders
8. Euglenineae (Euglenoids) – 3 Families
9. Phaeophyceae (Brown Algae) – 9 Orders
10. Rhodophyceae (Red Algae) – 7 Orders
11. Myxophyceae (Blue green Algae &Slim molds) – 5 Orders

Class Occur Pigments Res Cell Struct Reprod Example

rence erv wall ure uction
e and
Foo Flagell
d ation
Chlorophycea Fresh Chlorophyll Starc Cellulo Unicellu Sexual – Chlamydo
e (Green water a and b and h se lar isogamous monas,
algae) and carotenoids motile to Volvox,
 marine cells advanced Chlorella
with oogamous
equal
flagella
Xanthophyce Mostly Yellow Oil Pectic Unicellu Sexual is Vaucheria
ae (Yellow fresh xanthophyll compou lar rare and
green algae) water nds motile always
but few cells isogamous
marine with
unequal
flagella
Chrysophyce Mostly Phycochrys Fat Non- Unicellu Sexual
ae (Brown or fresh in and cellulos lar to reproducti
orange cold leuc ic filament on seldom
coloured water osin ous occurs but
algae) but few motile of
marine cells isogamous
with type
unequal
flagella
Bacillariophy In all Chromatop Fat Partly Unicellu Sexual – Pinnularia
ceae kind of hores are and silica lar or special
(Diatoms) fresh yellow or volut and colonial type –
water, golden in partly fusion of
sea, soil brown pectic protoplast
and substan s of the
terrestria ces ordinary
l individual
habitats s
Cryptophycea Both in Chromatop Soli - Motile Sexual - Chroomon
e Fresh hores show d and isogamous as
water shades of carb coccoid
and brown ohyd cells
marine rates with
or in unequal
som flagella
e
case
s
starc
 h
Dinophyceae Sea Chromatop Starc - Unicellu Sexual Dinoflagel
water hores are h lar to rare – late,
plankton dark and branche isogamous Ceratium
s yellow, oil d
brown with filament
special s
pigments
Chloromonad All are Chromatop Oil - Motile - -
ineae fresh hores are with
water bright green equal
forms and with flagella
excess of
xanthophyll
Euglenineae Only Chromatop Poly - Motile Sexual – Euglena
fresh hores are sacc with one isogamous
water pure green harid or two
forms e flagella
and
Para
mylo
n
Phaeophycea Mostly Chlorophyll Man Alginic Simple Sexual – Ectocarpu
e (Brown marine a,c, nitol, acid filament isogamous s,
algae) carotenes, fats and ous to to Sargassu
xanthophyll lami fucinic bulky oogamous m
s and not narin acid
chlorophyll
b
Rhodophycea Few are Red Flori Non- Simple Sexual – Batrachos
e (Red algae) fresh Phycoerythr dean cellulos filament advanced permum,
water in, Blue starc ic ous to oogamous Polysipho
and few Phycocyani h polysac complex . Results nia
are n, charide . Motile in
marine Chlorophyll s – structure formation
a, d and xylans s not of
Carotenes and known carpospor
galacta es
ns
Myxophycea Sea and Chlorophyll Suga Mucope Simple No sexual Oscillatori
e fresh , carotenes, rs ptides to reproducti a, Nostoc,
(Cyanophyce water xanthophyll and filament on Anabaena
ae or Blue s, Glyc ous. No
green algae) phycocyani ogen motile
n and stages
phycoerythr
in