Bryopsidophyceae |
Bryopsidales |
Caulerpaceae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Sessile; brackish; depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 83908). Tropical
Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
A highly variable species. The typical variety is characterized by short erect branches bearing crowded ramuli with short stalks and oval or spherical tips. The arrangement and shape of the ramuli differ among the numerous varieties.The ramuli can be sparse or dense, arranged radially, alternately, pinnately or irregular on the erect branch. The distal portion of the ramuli can be clavate, turbinate, globose truncate, or sometimes discoid. Plants growing on sandy substrate in calm, turbid water of the reef flat tend to have long erect branches densely covered with clavate or capitate ramuli while those growing on rocky-wave exposed portions of the reef possess strong short erect branches which bear crowded ramuli with spherical or globose tips. Erect branches up to 10 cm in height (Ref. 80758).
Used for human consumption and medicine: antifungal, lowers blood pressure; source of caulerpin, a substance with anaesthetic effect; also source of caulerpicin which has a toxic effect (Ref. 80758); with export potential from Fiji as fresh sea vegetable (Ref. 82232). Edible green seaweed (Ref. 82232). Commonly encountered in lower intertidal and upper subtidal areas protected from strong wave action and current on sandy-muddy to rocky-coralline substrates (Ref. 80758); a dominant feature of clean sandy bottom in the subtidal zone away from freshwater influence, such as at Kaba Peninsula, Fiji (Ref. 82232).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2009 AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 14 April 2009. (Ref. 80701)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionAbundance Life cycleReproduction
Maturity
Fecundity
Spawning
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 20.8 - 29.2, mean 27.8 (based on 5360 cells).
