General Description
Cylindrical appearing branches made up of few to several branching stems (stipes) branching usually equally in two, with tightly packed whorled branchlets (laterals) occurring in distinct sets. Often denuded lower on the branch. Holdfast at base is crustose. Medium Brown. Up to about 20 cm long (thallus).
Biology
Under magnification, the branches of this species appear like a bottle brush.
Habitat
Lower intertidal rocky reefs and tidal pools, to depth of 6 m.
Reefs
Coastal shores
Distribution guide
Worldwide.
Species Group
Seaweeds and seagrasses › Brown algae
Depth
Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Water Column
Max Size
20 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
Jacqui Pocklington is a Research Associate with expertise in algal taxonomy.
Cite this page as:
Pocklington, Jacqui, 2011, Brown Seaweed, Cladostephus spongiosus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 09 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/11336
