Halimeda opuntia   (Linnaeus) J.V. Lamouroux

Prostrate sea cactus

Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Halimeda opuntia  AquaMaps  Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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drawing shows typical species in Halimedaceae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | CoL | ITIS | WoRMS

Bryopsidophyceae | Bryopsidales | Halimedaceae

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Sessile; depth range 0 - 25 m (Ref. 83908).  Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm

Short description Morphology

Thalli form greenish to cream amorphous clumps, attached by rhizoids at various points where segments get in contact with the substrate. Branches composed of moderately calcified flat segments with a distinct central rib, generally reniform to flabellate with the upper margin entire, sinuate to deeply lobed, 3 to 8 mm high, 4 to 10 mm wide, and 0.5 to 7 mm thick. Cortex consisting of 5 layers of utricles formed by repeated dichotomies from the medullary filaments; outermost utricles adhere slightly after decalcification, hexagonal in surface view, 23 by 40 to 50 μm in transverse section; secondary utricles about 17 μm wide. Central medullary filaments extend along the segments, terete and trichotomously branched, with evident constrictions at a short distance above the point of branching. Amorphous clumps up to 15 cm in diameter (Ref. 80758).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Not utilized commercially, although found to be a source of growth regulators such as auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin; has antibacterial and antifungal properties (Ref. 80758). Grows in the lower intertidal zone of coral reefs or on dead corals below the low-tide mark in calm shallow waters (Ref. 80758).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry. 2009. (Ref. 80701)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES status (Ref. 108899)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Human uses


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Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Common names
Synonyms
Predators
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Morphology
Larvae
Abundance
References
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures

Internet sources

BHL | BOLD Systems | CISTI | DiscoverLife | FAO(Publication : search) | Fishipedia | GenBank (genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | Gomexsi | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | PubMed | AlgaeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia (Go, Search) | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.6 - 29.2, mean 28 (based on 4250 cells).