Paddle blade alga
Avrainvillea nigricans
Decaisne, 1842
Description:
The paddle blade alga has a dark brown-greenish, spongy, blade with a texture reminiscent of suede. The blade ends in a stem with a holdfast. It grows to about 15 cm high with blades about 6 to 8 cm wide and long. The plant body is coenocytic, i.e., the plant is multinucleate and nonseptate.
Habitat:
Common in shallow, sheltered waters.
Distribution:
South Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean.
Remarks:
It has several related species, with A. rawsonii at Curacao. Positive identification requires laboratory examination of the specimens. |
