CHROMOPHYTA : Fucales : FucaceaeBROWN ALGAE

Fucus distichus Linnaeus


Description: Thallus to 10 cms long with short stout cylindrical stipe. Branching dichotomous, flat with mid-rib.

Habitat: Upper littoral on very exposed rocky shores.

Distribution: In the British Isles only recorded from the west coast of Scotland including the Shetlands and the north (Co.Donegal) and south (Cos.Kerry and Clare) of Ireland. Europe: Norway, Faroes and Iceland. East and west Greenland. Arctic Seas: east and west Greenland, Spitzbergen, Baffin Bay, Divis Strait and Arctic Canada. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Similar Species: Pelvetia canaliculata. F.distichus can be distinguished by the mid-rib present in all species of Fucus.

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

iNaturalist: Fucus distichus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Fucus distichus at World Register of Marine Species.

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 Morton, O., Keatley, L., Morrow, C.C. & Picton, B.E. (2026). Fucus distichus. Linnaeus. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
https://habitas.org/mbdp/species.php?item=ZR6710. Accessed on 2026-11-01