Tag Archives: Rhodophyta

Melobesia mediocris: Seagrass Crust–The Race Rocks taxonomy

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melobesia

Melobesia mediocris on Phyllospadix sp.

 

phyllospadixMelobesia mediocris or the seagrass crust is a pink coralline algae which grows as an epiphyte on the surfgrass Phyllospadix sp. 

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Corallinales
Family: Hapalidiaceae
Genus: Melobesia
species: mediocris
Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.Garry Fletcher

 

Mesophyllum sp.: epiphtic coralline algae–Race Rocks Taxonomy

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mesophyllumbad

Mesophyllum sp.Photo by Ryan Murphy

mesophyllum

Ryan Murphy photographer pointing to the the round epiphyte

Classification:
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Corallinaceae
Mesophyllum sp.

Description: This plant is erect, up to 2 cm. wide. Its colour is dark pink to purple. Shape is circular. It exists as a flattened growth epiphytic on many geniculate rhodophytes such as Bossiella sp.
Habitat: On geniculate rhodophytes in tide pools.
Pacific Coast Distribution: Alaska to California.
Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. —Ryan Murphy

 

Lithothamnion sp.: Pink encrusting algae–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rhodcrust

Lithothamnion sp. Photo by Ryan Murphy

Lithothamnion sp. is one of the most abundant of the red algaes at Race Rocks since it covers most of the rock surface in the subtidal zone. In the images below by Ryan Murphy this encrusting algae is the predominant substrate.

 

rmsept0310clav copy rmsculp10l
A cluster of the hydroid Clavularia sp. A sculpin exhibits cryptic colouration as it blends into the background
rmsnailcasel copy lithothamnion
Due to the high calcium carbonate content of it’s thamnion, it can only be grazed by molluscs such as this lined chiton with very hard rasping radulas above the ring of nudibranch eggs. The holdfast of a kelp spreads over the Lithothamnion surface.
rm porcelaincrab rmsculp13a copy
A porcelain crab hovers over the surface of rocks covered in Lithothamnion The small black tentacles of the annelid Dodecaceriia concharum: the coralline -fringed tube worm are dispersed evenly through the layer of Lithothamnion.

Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Protoctista
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Corallinaceae
Genus: Lithothamnion
Species: sp.
Common Name: Pink encrusting coralline alg
The following video was done by Victor Rakou in the week of June1 2000. We have assembled here various segments of video to illustrate the community of organisms which live on and around Lithothamnion in the subtidal area at about 5 to 8 meters off the North side of Great Race Rocks, just out from the docks. In some areas large rock surfaces are completely covered with this encrusting red algae.. See also the blue waved chiton pictures where you can see photos of Lithothamnion lining the vertical sides of some of the lower level tidepools near peg 6. It also thrives in the tidepools east of the docks (peg 14b)

Lithothamnion sp.: Pink encrusting algae–The Race Rocks Taxonomy


Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Garry Fletcher, 2007

 

Corallina officianalis: The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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geniculatecor1

Corallina officianalis – all photos by Ryan Murphy

Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Corallinaceae
Corallina officinalis (L.)

geniculate corallinacostaria

Description: This plant is erect, 4-6 cm. high, dark pink in colour, arising from an encrusting basal layer attached securely to the substrate. The erect portion is a branched system of jointed segments. The segments below are cylindrical, about 0.75 mm. diameter; above slightly cgracilis2compressed and about 1 mm. broad. The axes are clothed with narrower short lateral branchlets that shorten to the apex. Branching pattern gives the plant a clumpy appearance.

Habitat: On rocks in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones and in tide-pools.

 

Pacific Coast Distribution: Alaska to Mexico.

 
Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Ryan Murphy PC yr 26

 

Corallina vancouveriensis: coralline algae–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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cvancouveriensis

Corallina vancouveriensis in a tide pool, some bleached white by the sun

Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Corallinaceae
Corallina vancouveriensis (Yendo)

All photos are by Ryan Murphy.

c.vancouveriensis

More C. vancouveriensis in a tide pool

Description: This plant is erect, 4-10 cm. high, deep purple in colour, arising from an encrusting basal layer attached securely to the substrate. The erect portion is a branched system of jointed segments. The segments below are cylindrical, about 0.75 mm. diameter; above slightly compressed and about 1mm. broad.  The axes are clothed with narrower short lateral branchlets, all approximately the same length. Branching in the lower region is distichously pinnate with branches usually simple; above distichously pinnateor verticillate with branchlets usually pinnately subdivided.

Habitat: On rocks in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones and in tide-pools.
Pacific Coast Distribution: Alaska to Mexico. Robert Scagel, 1972
Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.
Ryan Murphy PC yr 27

 

Hildenbrandia ruber : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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hildenbrandia

Hildenbrandia ruber covering rocks in a tide pool. All photos by Ryan Murphy

Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Hildenbrabdiales
Family: Hildenbrandiaceae
Genus and species: Hildenbrandia ruber (Sommerf)

Description: This plant exists as a thin encrusting layer on rock substrata. Its common name “rust spot” aptly describes this plants appearance.
Habitat: On rocks in the middle and upper intertidal zone, and on ship hulls.
Distribution: Most of Pacific Northwest

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. -Ryan Murphy

 

Rhodomela larix : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rhodosp

Rhodomela larix surrounding two species of barnacles and the Red Algae Halosaccion sp.

 

Classification:
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Ceramiales
Family: Rhodmelaceae
Rhodomela larix (Turner) C. Agardh

redpool

Many Rhodophytes are represented in this photo, including Rhodomela larix

Description: This plant is erect, up to 30 cm. high, brownish black in colour, in clusters, attached to the substrate by a discoid holdfast. The plant is branched, usually with one or more major cylindrical axes. The major axes have a profusion of radially arranged cylindrical branchlets, all approximately the same length and unbranched. At the apices of the branches, evanescent trichoblasts are apparent.

Habitat: On rocks in the intertidal zone.
Pacific Coast Distribution: Bering Sea to California
Robert Scagel, 1972

Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.  Ryan Murphy

 

Prionitis lanceolata : The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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prion

Prionitis lanceolate in the author’s hand. Photos by Ryan Murphy

 

 Description: This plant is erect, up to 30 cm. tall, reddish brown in colour, growing in clusters, and attached to the substrate by small discoid holdfast. The erect portion is narrowly stipitate below, tapering above to a flattened lanceolate portion. The apices of the branches taper gradually to a point. Numerous proliferous flattened short pinnately arranged branchlets occur along the margins of the main axes

Classification:
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Cryptonemiaceae
Prionitis lanceolata (Harvey)
Habitat: On rocks in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones
Pacific Coast Distribution: Alaska to Mexico.  Robert Scagel, 1972

Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. — Ryan Murphy

 

Mastocarpus cristata: (Gigartina)–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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mastocarpus-1

Mastocarpus sp.in a bed of Endocladia sp.Ryan Murphy photo

 

Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Gigartinales
Family: Petrocelidaceae (formerly Gigartinaceae)
Mastocarpus cristata (Setchell) Setchell and Gardner, -or- Gigartina cristata

The photos below are by Ryan Murphy:

Description: This plant is erect, up to 15 cm. high, dark reddish brown in colour, in clusters, attached to the substrate by a small discoid holdfast.   The erect branches are flattened, with branching dichotomous.  The flat dichotomies are generally narrow and often twisted. The surface of the plant is at first smooth, later developing many small papillate outgrowths.  One tetrasporangiate life stage known as petrocelis is shown in pictures below.

Habitat: On rocks in the lower intertidal zone.

Pacific Coast Distribution:  British Columbia to Mexico.

Robert Scagel, 1972

See other members of the Phylum Rhodophyta, Red Algae.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Ryan Murphy

 

Species List for the West Side of the Race Rocks Jetty , 2005

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This list was compiled by Pam Thuringer of Archipelago Marine on May12, 2005. She examined the west side of the docks exposed at a 0.35m tide as part of the Environmental Impact assessment for the Tidal Current Project.

Invertebrates Balanus glandula many
Semibalanus cariosus many
Hemigrapsus nudis few
Mytilus californianus few
Sponge ( orange encrusting species) few
Katharina tunicata few
Littorina scutulata many
Tectura persona few
Lottia pelta few
Anthopleura elegantissima few
Lirubuccinum dirum few
General Group Species Occurence
Brn. Algae Nereocystis luetkeana sparse
Fucus sp. sparse
Leathesia difformis sparse
Hedophyllum sessile abundant
Alaria marginata abundant
Costaria costata few
Red Algae Mazzaella splendans few
Mastocarpus pappilatus sparse
Halosaccion glandiforme few
Lithothamnion sp. few
Odonthalia floccosa sparse
Polysiphonia sp. sparse
Coralline algae. several species sparse
Porphyra perforata sparse
Endocladia muricata sparse
Green Algae Ulva sp. sparse
Acrosiphonia sp. few