RHODOPHYTA : Ceramiales : RhodomelaceaeRED ALGAE

Polysiphonia fibrata (Dillwyn) Harvey


Description: Thallus in dense tufts to 10 cms or more long. Terete, polysiphonous with 4 pericentral cells which may show cortication but only near the base. Rhizoids cut off from the pericentral cells.

Habitat: Common. Epilithic, epizoic and epiphytic in rock pools of the mid-littoral into the sublittoral at 20 m. Cystocarps globular to ovoid.

Distribution: Widely distributed in the British Isles. Europe: Spain, France and the Faroes.

Similar Species: Other species of Polysiphonia are similar and difficult to distinguish.

Key Identification Features:

  • Pericentral cells with little or no cortication except near the base. Rhizoids cut off from pericentrals.

Distribution Map from NBN: Polysiphonia fibrata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Polysiphonia fibrata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Polysiphonia fibrata at World Register of Marine Species.

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 Morton, O., Keatley, L., Morrow, C.C. & Picton, B.E. (2026). Polysiphonia fibrata. (Dillwyn) Harvey. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
https://habitas.org/mbdp/species.php?item=ZM11080. Accessed on 2026-11-01