Flattened, subcartilaginous, purple-red fronds, to 300 mm long and 20-70 mm wide, lanceolate or forked, irregularly pinnate; when mature (in summer), the margins and the surface are covered with short, stiff proliferations. Short cylindrical stipe arises from creeping, branched holdfast.

Calliblepharis ciliata is bright to dark red in colour. The main blade is erect and forms into a wedge shape or ovate lobe that expands into a dichotomous or irregularly divided blade up to 7 cm broad and 30 cm long and 350-650 µm thick (Dixon & Irvine, 1977). Small branches arise from the main blade. Calliblepharis ciliata can vary considerably in blade width and degree of subdivision. In southeastern England its blades are often only 10-15 µm thick. The branchlets (proliferations) that arise from the margins of the blade are either pointed or rounded. Patches of encrusting bryozoans are very common on old specimens.

Similar species: Calliblepharis jubata is narrower (to 10 mm); its marginal outgrowths are long, branched and entangled, and it is mainly intertidal.

Original publication: Kützing, F.T. (1843). Phycologia generalis oder Anatomie, Physiologie und Systemkunde der Tange... Mit 80 farbig gedruckten Tafeln, gezeichnet und gravirt vom Verfasser. pp. [part 1]: [i]-xxxii, [1]-142 , [part 2:] 143-458, 1, err.], pls 1-80. Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus.

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Calliblepharis ciliata is bright to dark red in colour. The main blade is erect and forms into a wedge shape or ovate lobe that expands into a dichotomous or irregularly divided blade up to 7 cm broad and 30 cm long and 350-650 µm thick (Dixon & Irvine, 1977). Small branches arise from the main blade. Calliblepharis ciliata can vary considerably in blade width and degree of subdivision. In southeastern England its blades are often only 10-15 µm thick. The branchlets (proliferations) that arise from the margins of the blade are either pointed or rounded. Patches of encrusting bryozoans are very common on old specimens.

Link for MarLIN

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).

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

Papenfuss, G.F. (1964). Catalogue and bibliography of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic benthic marine algae. In: Bibliography of the Antarctic Seas. (Lee, M.O. Eds) Vol.1, pp. 1-76. Washington D.C.: American Geophysical Union.

Molenaar, F.J., Venekamp, L.A.H. & Breeman, A.M. (1996). Life-history regulation in the subtidal red alga Calliblepharis ciliata. European Journal of Phycology 31: 241-247, 5 figs, 3 tables.

Type species: This is the type species (lectotype) of the genus Calliblepharis

Basionym: Fucus ciliatus Hudson

Type locality: England (Dixon & Irvine 1977: 193). Lectotype: An unlocalised, undated Hudson specimen accepted provisionally as of lectotype status (Dixon & Irvine 1977: 193)