Thallus cylindrical, reddish to purple brown, softly gelatinous thallus, simple or sparingly dichotomously branched, to 2 mm wide, to 250 mm long, with discoid holdfast. 

Original publication: Batters, E.A.L. (1902). A catalogue of the British marine algae. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 40(Supplement): 1-107.

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Direct use as food - food, consumed whole

Dixon, P.S. & Irvine, L.M. (1977). Seaweeds of the British Isles. Volume 1. Rhodophyta. Part 1. Introduction, Nemaliales, Gigartinales. pp. xi + 252, 90 figs. London: British Museum (Natural History).

Hollenberg, G.J. & Abbott, I.A. (1966). Supplement to Smith's marine algae of the Monterey Peninsula. pp. ix (xii), 1-130, 53 figs. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Huisman, J.M. & Womersley, H.B.S. (2006). Nemalion. In: Algae of Australia. (Huisman, J.M. Eds), pp. 77-78. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study.

Lindeberg, M.R. & Lindstrom, S.C. (2010). Field guide to the seaweeds of Alaska. pp. [i-]iii-iv, 1-188, numerous col. photographs. Fairbanks: Alaska Sea Grant College Program.

Loiseaux-de Goër, S. & Noailles, M.-C. (2008). Algues de Roscoff. pp. [1]-215, col. figs. Roscoff: Editions de la Station Biologique de Roscoff.

Womersley, H.B.S. (1994). The marine benthic flora of southern Australia - Part IIIA - Bangiophyceae and Florideophyceae (Acrochaetiales, Nemaliales, Gelidiales, Hildenbrandiales and Gigartinales sensu lato). pp. 1-508, 167 figs, 4 pls, 4 maps. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study.

Wynne, M.J. (2005). A check-list of benthic marine algae of the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic: second revision. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia 129: 1-152.

Basionym: Fucus helminthoides Velley

Type locality: Portland, England (Womersley 1994: 81).

Lectotype: LIV (Womersley 1994: 81).

Notes: Batters (1902: 59) "e spec. auth. in Herb. Kew.", which could be considered a lectotypification