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68 | Spongy texture

Pacific Seaweeds

Spongy texture

Codium Sea staghorn, green spongy cushion

Class Bryopsidophyceae Order Bryopsidales Family Codiaceae

Number of Species

Of the whopping 143 known species and forms of Codium (Greek=animal skin), 3 are found locally: C. fragile, C. setchellii and C. ritteri.

Description

Codium is a conspicuous seaweed, spongy in texture and very dark green. Two basic morphol-ogies exist: branched forms and cushion forms. The branched forms are typified by C. fragile (sea staghorn). This species is dichotomously branched (each branch produces two more or less identical branches, forming a “Y” shape), giving rise to plants up to 40 cm (16 in) long. The branches are cylindrical, about 0.5 cm (0.2 in) in diameter. Codium setchellii and C. ritteri (green spongy cushion) typify the cushion form. The low-lying cushion may be up to 2 cm (0.75 in) thick and 25 cm (10 in) in diameter.

Codium species consist of long cells (some cells are up to 30 cm/12 in long)

Codium fragile.

Codium fragile and detail (right) of surface cells with gamete-bearing cells (g) as observed in cross-section.