Chlorophyta · Green Seaweed

Ulothrix flacca

(Dillwyn) Thuret
Phylum
Chlorophyta
Class
Ulvophyceae
Order
Ulotrichales
Family
Ulotrichaceae

Ulothrix flacca

Mermaid's tresses

Authority
(Dillwyn) Thuret
Thallus is composed of unbranched filaments with a single file of cells (uniseriate) to 6 cm (~2.4 in) in length. The filaments usually appear coalesced and dark green on rock. The cells have a single nucleus, and although narrow (14-33 μm diameter), they are shorter (5-15 μm long) than wide. The single collar-shaped chloroplast fills the length of the cell but not the full circumference. Reproductive cells swell in the middle to 50 μm diameter.

Habitat

This species forms a very slippery coating on rock in the mid to high intertidal zone in protected to semi-exposed areas in spring and early summer.

North Pacific Distribution

Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Aleutian Island, Alaska to southern California; Korea; Japan; Russia

Former scientific names

Conferva flacca, U. pseudoflacca

Similar taxa

Rosenvingiella, Urospora

Last updated December 26, 2010

Photos