Caulerpa scalpelliformis (R.Brown ex Turner) C.Agardh 1817


Division     Chlorophyta
Class     Ulvophyceae
Order     Acrosiphoniales
Family    Acrosiphoniaceae
SynonymFucus scalpelliformis R.Brown ex Turner, Corradoria scalpelliformis (Brown ex Turner) Trevisan

    Thallus is a dark green plant with widespread stoloniferous prostrate axes that grow up to 10 cm tall. They have fine branches that connect them to the substratum. Closely flattened and definite in an alternating pattern, upright fronds are terete near the base. Coenocytic filaments make up the Thallus. Thalli were rarely found in the company of other macroalgae.


Ecology

Lithophytic, found in rock pools up to 30 meters deep in rough waters.


Distribution in India

Cape Comorian, Kurusadai Island (Iyengar, 1927; Iyengar et al.,1995), Mandapam (Kailmuthu et al., 1992; Jayasankar & Ramalingam, 1993), Tuticorin (Kumar, 1993), Tamil Nadu (Subbaramaiah, et al., 1977); Kovalam, Kerala (Sobha et al., 1992); Dwarka, Gujarat; Bombay, Maharashtra (Børgesen, 1932; Krishnamurthy & Joshi, 1970).