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Home / Greens
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/ Acrosiphonia |
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Name derivation: |
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Older name: Spongomorpha |
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Classification:
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Acrosiphonia J.Agardh 1846; There are 43 species of which 13 have been
taxonomically accepted.
Order Ulotrichales; Family Ulotrichaceae
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Morphology: |
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Acrosiphonia
consists of branched uniseriate filaments, which
either have hooks or rhizoids that cause the branches to become tangled. This
gives the alga a matted
rope-like appearance. It is also said to resemble rastafarian hair. On the Pacific Coast of North America
it is difficult to distinguish between Acrosiphonia
coalita and Acrosiphonia
arcta in the field. Under a microscope Acrosiphonia coalita
has compound spines (hooks) , while A. arcta
only has rhizoids. The former is generally darker green in color than the
latter. Thallus length of A.coalita
is up to 35 cm. In the North Atlantic A.
arcta and A.
spinescens are often distinguished by some
authors, while other combine the two taxa as A. arcta. The former species only has rhizoidal appendages
and the latter has both rhizoids and single (i.e. simple) hooks. The former
species occurs earlier than the latter. |
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Similar genera: |
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Spongomorpha and Cladophora.
Acrosiphonia coalita
was formally known as Spongomorpha coalita,
and is currently a basionym for Conferva coalita |
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Habitat: |
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A. spinescens is present in low to
mid-intertidal zones om exposed rocky shorelines in
New England. A. coalita is found in similar habitats from
southern Alaska to California. In the North Atlantic if both A. arcta and
A. spinescens
are distinguished (see above) the former occurs
earlier than the latter. Both species occur in the low to mid intertidal
zones, often in tide pools. Typically they grow on hard rock and rarely as
epiphytes. Acrosiphonia coalita is found in similar habitats from southern
Alaska to California. |
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References: |
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Agardh, J.G. 1846.
Anadema, ett nytt slägte bland Algerna. Kongl. Vetenskaps-Adademiens
Förhandlingar, Stockholm 3:
103-104. Burrows, E.
M. 1991. Seaweeds of the British Isles. Vol. 2. Chlorophyta.
Natural History Museum, London, Publ. xii + 238 pp., 9 pls. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication,
National University of Ireland, Galway.
http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 2 August 2013. Taylor, W.
R. 1957. Marine Algae of the
Northeastern Coast of North America. Revised edition. Univ. Michigan Press.,
Ann Arbor, ix + 509 pp. (as Spongomorpha) |
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