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Chlorophyta · Green Seaweed

Derbesia sp.

Phylum
Chlorophyta
Class
Ulvophyceae
Order
Bryopsidales
Family
Derbesiaceae

Derbesia sp.

Green sea grape

Thallus is a hollow, spherical ball with a short stalk; it represents the gametophytic phase in the life cycle of the species. It usually grows to 1 cm (0.4 in) tall, and within the sphere are many peripherally located chloroplasts and nuclei. The sporophytic Derbesia phase forms branching, filamentous tufts only 1 cm (0.4 in) tall.

Habitat

This species prefers growing on encrusting coralline algae on semi-exposed coasts in the very low intertidal to subtidal.

North Pacific Distribution

Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico; Korea; Japan; Russia

Former scientific names

misidentified as Derbesia marina

Similar taxa

Young stages of Monostroma and Ulvaria.

References

Last updated December 26, 2010

Photos