Hildenbrandia rubra

Rusty rock

Authority: (Sommerfelt) Meneghini

Thallus is a rose-to brownish-red, uncalcified crust that adheres tightly to rock. It is very thin (0.3 mm or 0.01 in thick), can appear partly transparent, and grows very slowly. Tetrasporangia, which are irregularly divided and occur in conceptacles, are the only known form of reproduction.

Habitat

This crustose species is found throughout the year on emergent rock and in tidepools from the high intertidal to shallow subtidal of protected to exposed habitats.

North Pacific Distribution

Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands to Southeast Alaska; Russia

Former scientific names

Verrucaria rubra, Hildenbrandia prototypus, Hildenbrandia rosea, Hildenbrandia sanguinea

Similar taxa

Hildenbrandia occidentalis has regularly zonately divided tetrasporangia; also similar to basal crusts of Gloiopeltis and Palmaria.

References

AlgaeBase (opens in a new tab)

Last updated December 26, 2010