PORT PHILLIP BAY


Blue-green Seaweed 

Rivularia australis

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Can be confused with Codium pomoides, but R. australis is smaller and more slippery rather than felt-like to touch.

Main information sources:
Womersley, H.B.S., (1984-2003). The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia. Part 1-3d. Govt. Printer, South Australia.
Baldock, R.N. 2010. Algae Revealed. South Australian State Herbarium. Website.
AlgaeBase. Website.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Cyanobacteria
Class:
Cyanophyceae
Subclass:
Nostocophycideae
Order:
Nostocales
Family:
Rivulariaceae
Genus:
Rivularia
Species:
australis

General Description

Gelatinous, slimy, globular individuals, or as colonies divided and almost square in appearance. Medium to dark green. Up to 2 cm high.

Biology

This blue-green alga is very slippery to touch and can cover large expanses of rock during some times of the year.

Habitat

Intertidal to shallow subtidal rocky reefs, rough waters, to depth of 1 m.

Reefs

Seagrass meadows

Distribution guide

United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.

Species Group

Seaweeds and seagrasses › Blue-green algae

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

2 cm

Diet

Photosynthetic - sunlight

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Identify

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Pocklington, Jacqui

Jacqui Pocklington is a Research Associate with expertise in algal taxonomy.

citation

Cite this page as:
Pocklington, Jacqui, 2011, Blue-green Seaweed, Rivularia australis, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 27 Nov 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/11127

Text: creative commons cc by licence