PORT PHILLIP BAY


Brown Seaweed 

Distromium flabellatum

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

May be confused wtih Lobophora variegate, Exallosorus olsenii and Padina spp. though all of these species have thicker blades.

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:
Ochrophyta
Subphylum:
Phaeista
Superclass:
Fucistia
Class:
Phaeophyceae
Order:
Dictyotales
Family:
Dictyotaceae
Genus:
Distromium
Species:
flabellatum

General Description

Erect with flat, thin blades (laterals) fan-shaped (flabellate) when young and becoming split and lobed when older. Growth is in concentric bands. Matted root-like (rhizoidal) holdfast. Medium to dark brown, iridescent underwater. Up to 6 cm long (thallus).

Biology

This seaweed glows with a strong blue iridescence underwater. It sometimes grows as an epiphyte on the seagrass Amphibolis antartica.

Habitat

Subtidal rocky reefs and on segrasses, sheltered to exposed coasts, to depth of 36 m.

Reefs

Seagrass meadows

Distribution guide

Worldwide.

Species Group

Seaweeds and seagrasses › Brown algae

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

6 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, Brown Seaweed, Distromium flabellatum, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 17 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/12342

Text: creative commons cc by licence