| Description: |
Codium tomentosum, commonly known as "felty fingers" or "velvet horn," is a dark green macroalga found along the coastlines of the North Atlantic, including the British Isles and the Mediterranean Sea. It thrives in rocky intertidal zones and shallow waters, where it attaches to substrates like rocks and shells. This alga is easily recognizable by its dense, velvety texture and bushy, finger-like branches, which can reach up to 30 cm in length. Its fronds are solid yet spongy, anchored by a disc-like holdfast, and the thallus is composed of large, multinucleate coenocytic cells with minimal transverse walls, giving it a siphonous structure. The surface is covered with utricles—specialized, swollen cells that house chloroplasts for photosynthesis. This unique morphology helps C. tomentosum adapt to and flourish in its coastal habitat. |
Species:
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Codium tomentosum Stackhouse |
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