Bryopsis plumosa (Marine Algae of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Adjacent Islands)

Bryopsis plumosa

Description ⁴

Bryopsis plumosa is a large, feathery species of green seaweed. The thalli are erect, feather-like and may reach up to 15 cm in height. It is easily recognised by its delicate branches. All branches are regularly arranged in two rows on opposite sides of the central filament. The lengths of the branches decrease gradually from the base of the plant. It is usually dark to mid-green in colour.

Description ⁵

Thallus small and erect to 10 cm long. Branches arranged distichously on the main axes. Feather-like. Bryopsis hypnoides has irregular branching.

Taxon biology ⁶

Hen pen is an exceptionally pretty, feathery-shaped branched green seaweed. It is mostly bright green in color and remarkably flexible. The 'leaf' (thallus) consists of a single cell containing lots of cell nuclei without partitions. This seaweed is fairly common in the delta region, but is rare in the wadden region, only found at the foot of dikes or on pontoons. Hen pen is grazed upon by many marine organisms.

Distribution ⁷

Widespread in the British Isles. Europe: Mediterranean and the Black Sea, Azores, Portugal, Spain, France, Norway, Faroes and Iceland. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Long Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Further afield: west coast of Greenland, Jamaica, Canary Islands, Senegal, Ghana, Mauritania, South Africa, British Columbia to California, Australia and Japan.

Habitat ⁸

Bryopsis plumosa is an epilithic species that is usually found in deep lower shore pools or subtidally in both sheltered and well-exposed habitats.

Habitat ⁹

Not uncommon. In low littoral rock pools and in the sublittoral.

Habitat ¹⁰

Depth range based on 64 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 8 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 26
  Temperature range (°C): 11.244 - 12.146
  Nitrate (umol/L): 4.909 - 6.151
  Salinity (PPS): 35.184 - 35.339
  Oxygen (ml/l): 6.128 - 6.204
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.336 - 0.452
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.311 - 3.285

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 26

Temperature range (°C): 11.244 - 12.146

Nitrate (umol/L): 4.909 - 6.151

Salinity (PPS): 35.184 - 35.339

Oxygen (ml/l): 6.128 - 6.204

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.336 - 0.452

Silicate (umol/l): 2.311 - 3.285

Note: this information has not been validated. Check this note. Your feedback is most welcome.

Sources and Credits

(c) Bernard Picton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/algae/bryplu.jpg
(c) licensed media from BioImages DwCA without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/../image.php?id=100241
(c) licensed media from BioImages DwCA without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/../image.php?id=100249
(c)  The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/16196734
(c) National Museums Northern Ireland and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5972677
(c) Copyright Ecomare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22757838
(c) National Museums Northern Ireland and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5972679
(c)  The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/10657406
(c) National Museums Northern Ireland and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5972678
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/17385905

More Info

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