CHLOROPHYTA : Ulvales : UlvellaceaeGREEN ALGAE

Ulvella lens P Crouan et H Crouan


Description: Thallus microscopic of radiating filaments, branching and adhering to form a disc up to 2 mm in diameter.

Habitat: Epiphytic on other algae and on Zostera also on pottery, shells, glass and stone from the low littoral to 20 m in the sublittoral.

Distribution: British Isles: recorded from Dorset, Kent and Devon in England; Cos Down and Antrim in Northern Ireland and from Scotland including the Shetlands, probably more widely distributed. Europe: Azores, Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Baltic Sea and Norway. Greenland. Atlantic coast of North America: Massachusetts.

Similar Species: Ochlochaete. Microscopic examination required for identification.

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

iNaturalist: Ulvella lens at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Ulvella lens at World Register of Marine Species.

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 Morton, O., Keatley, L., Morrow, C.C. & Picton, B.E. (2026). Ulvella lens. P Crouan et H Crouan. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
https://habitas.org/mbdp/species.php?item=ZS1720. Accessed on 2026-11-01