RHODOPHYTA : Ceramiales : RhodomelaceaeRED ALGAE

Rhodomela lycopodioides (Linnaeus) C Agardh


Description: Thallus terete and erect to 50 cms long growing from a discoid holdfast. Densley branched with latterals which remain short. Not obviously polysiphonous, with axial cell surrounded by 6 elongated pericentral cells not of uniform length. Corticate

Habitat: Epiphytic on Laminaria hyperborea or on rock in low littoral to 5 m depth.

Distribution: A northern species in the British Isles: north of Ireland, Scotland and the Shetlands, north of England on the east coast. Europe: Norway, Faroes, Spitzbergen and Iceland. Greenland. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada. Further afield: Arctic Sea, probably circumpolar.

Key Identification Features:

  • Discoid holdfast. Densley covered with latteral branches all of similar length.

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

iNaturalist: Rhodomela lycopodioides at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Rhodomela lycopodioides at World Register of Marine Species.

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 Morton, O., Keatley, L., Morrow, C.C. & Picton, B.E. (2026). Rhodomela lycopodioides. (Linnaeus) C Agardh. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
https://habitas.org/mbdp/species.php?item=ZM11460. Accessed on 2026-11-01