Classification of Algae

• F.E. Fritsch (1935), the father of phycology, has proposed a

detailed scheme of classification of algae in his book,
• The Structure and Reproduction of the Algae (in 2 vols.)
• This classification was based on the following
characteristics-

1 Pigments in the plastids

2 Chemical nature of reserve food material
3. Characteristics of flagella
4. Types of reproduction
5. Composition of cell wall
6. Structure of thallus
7 Types of life cycle
I. Fritsch's System of Classification:
• F.E. Fritsch (1935) classified algae into 11 living classes and one fossil
class (Nematophyceae)
1. Chlorophyceae (green algae)
2. Xanthophyceae (Yellow-green algae)
3. Chrysophyceac
4. Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms)
5. Cryptophyceae
6. Dinophyceae (Dinoflagellates)
7 Chloromomadineae
8. Euglenophyceae
9. Phaeophyceae (Brown algae)
10. Rhodophyceae ( Red algae)
11 Myxophyceae (blue green algae)
1. Class- Chlorophyceae (Green algae)
1. The members are green due to presence
of Chlorophyll a and Chlorophyll b.
2. Reserve food material is starch.
3. Pyrenoids usually present in chloroplast.
4. Motile cells have variable number of
flagella which are equal in size.
5. Sexual reproduction is isogamous,
anisogamous and oogamous.
6. Mostly members present in fresh water.

Ex Chlamydomonas, chlorella, ulothrix,

2. Class Xanthophyceae (yellow-green algae)
1. The members are yellow green due to presence of Xanthophyll
2 Reserve food material is oil and leucosin
3. Pyrenoids absent in chromatophores
4. Motile cells have two flagella in number and unequal in length.
5. Sexual reproduction is of rare occurrence but if present is isogamous.
6. Majority members are fresh water

Ex. Heterochloris, Miorospora, Botrydium

3. Class –Chrysophyceae
1. The members are brown-orange due to phycochrysin pigment
2. Pyrenoids are present is chromatophores
3. Reserve food material is oil and leucosin
4. The motile cells have one or two flagella of equal size
5. Sexual reproduction rare and if present is isogamous
6. The members are marine and fresh water both
Ex. Chrysococcus, Chrysospaera, Chrysoclonium
4. Class- Bacillariophyceae
1. The members are commonly known as diatoms.
2. Main pigments are diatoxanthin, fucoxanthin and diadinoxanthin.
3. Pyrenoids Present in Chromatophore.
4. Reserve food material is oil, volutin and leucosin granules.
5. Cell wall silicified and is divided into two symmetrical halves is variously
ornamented.
6. Sexual reproduction is isogamous or anisogamous.

Ex. Cyclotella, Chaetoceros, Pinnularia

5. Class- Cryptophyceae
1. The members are of diverse colour like brown, red, olive green and yellowish
2. Reserve food material is starch and fat.
3. The cells have two large parietal Chloroplasts with Pyrenoids.
4 Motile cells have two flagella which are unequal in length.
5. Sexual reproduction is rare and isogamous.

Ex Cryptomonas, Rhodomonas. Tetragonidium

6. Class- Dinophyceae
1. The members are dark yellow or brown due to presence of red phycopyrrin
2. Reserve food material is starch and fat.
3. Pyrenoids present in discoid chromatophores.
4. Most of the members are unicellular, motile and biflagellate.
5 Sexual reproduction rare and is isogamous.

Desmocapsa, Dinophysis, Dinastridium

7. Class-Chloromonadineae
1. The members are bright green in colour due to excess of xanthophyll
2. Reserve food material is fat or oil.
3. Cells have numerous discoid chromatophores.
4. Individual reproduce by longitudinal divisions.

Vacuolaria, Trentorie
8. Class- Euglenophyceae
1. The mostly members are green in colour.
2. Reserve food material is Paramylum (Carbohydrate).
3. The members are unicellular, motile with one flagella
4. Holophytic forms have several green chloroplast.
5. Reproduction usually takes place by fission.

Euglena, Hetronema
9. Class Phaeophyceae-(Brown algae)
1. The members are brown in colour due to
fucoxanthin pigment and commonly known
as 'sea weeds".
2. Reserve food material is manitol and
laminarian starch Motile cells are biflagellate
having two flagella laterally inserted and of
unequal length
4 Sexual reproduction ranges from isogamy
to oogamy.
5. The members are mostly marine.

Ectocarpus, Laminaria, Dictyota

10. Class- Rhodophyceae (Red algae)
1. The members are rod or dark red in colour
due to presence of r-phycocyan and r-
phycoerythrin,
2 Reserve food material is floridian Starch
3. Plasmodesmata is present between the
cells
4 Motile cells or flagella are absent.
5. Sexual reproduction specialized and
oogamous
6. The members are marine.

EX Polysiphonia, Nemalion, Gracilaria

11. Class- Myxophyceae/Cyanophyceae
(Blue-green algae)
1. The members are blue- green in colour due
to c-phycocyanin
2. The chief pigments are chlorophyll a, B-
carotene and c-phycocyanin
3 Cell organizations is prokaryotic type.
4 Reserve food material is Cynophycean Starch
and glycogen.
5 Motile cells or flagella are absent.
6 Sexual reproduction is absent.
Ex Chroococcus, Oscillatoria, Nostoc