The Stylonematophyceae is an early diverging red algal class that contains organisms in which sexual reproduc- tion has not been reported. Previous studies have hypothesized a single copy of the actin gene in this class. Amplification of the actin gene in members of the Stylonematophyceae, including several isolates of Sty- lonema alsidii, reveals a more complex evolutionary history. The data support independent gene duplica- tions in Goniotrichopsis reniformis and Stylonema alsidii. Three of the seven isolates of S. alsidii had three copies of actin. Analyses indicate that all copies are functional and not pseudogenes