Rhodomela larix surrounding two species of barnacles and the Red Algae Halosaccion sp.

Classification:
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Ceramiales
Family: Rhodmelaceae
Rhodomela larix (Turner) C. Agardh

Many Rhodophytes are represented in this photo, including Rhodomela larix

Description: This plant is erect, up to 30 cm. high, brownish black in colour, in clusters, attached to the substrate by a discoid holdfast. The plant is branched, usually with one or more major cylindrical axes. The major axes have a profusion of radially arranged cylindrical branchlets, all approximately the same length and unbranched. At the apices of the branches, evanescent trichoblasts are apparent.

Habitat: On rocks in the intertidal zone.
Pacific Coast Distribution: Bering Sea to California
Robert Scagel, 1972

Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File

The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.  Ryan Murphy

Prionitis lanceolate in the author’s hand. Photos by Ryan Murphy

 Description: This plant is erect, up to 30 cm. tall, reddish brown in colour, growing in clusters, and attached to the substrate by small discoid holdfast. The erect portion is narrowly stipitate below, tapering above to a flattened lanceolate portion. The apices of the branches taper gradually to a point. Numerous proliferous flattened short pinnately arranged branchlets occur along the margins of the main axes

Classification:
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Cryptonemiaceae
Prionitis lanceolata (Harvey)
Habitat: On rocks in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones
Pacific Coast Distribution: Alaska to Mexico.  Robert Scagel, 1972

Other Rhodophytes or Red Algae at Race Rocks

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File

The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. — Ryan Murphy

Mastocarpus sp.in a bed of Endocladia sp.Ryan Murphy photo

Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Gigartinales
Family: Petrocelidaceae (formerly Gigartinaceae)
Mastocarpus cristata (Setchell) Setchell and Gardner, -or- Gigartina cristata

The photos below are by Ryan Murphy:

Description: This plant is erect, up to 15 cm. high, dark reddish brown in colour, in clusters, attached to the substrate by a small discoid holdfast.   The erect branches are flattened, with branching dichotomous.  The flat dichotomies are generally narrow and often twisted. The surface of the plant is at first smooth, later developing many small papillate outgrowths.  One tetrasporangiate life stage known as petrocelis is shown in pictures below.

Habitat: On rocks in the lower intertidal zone.

Pacific Coast Distribution:  British Columbia to Mexico.

Robert Scagel, 1972

See other members of the Phylum Rhodophyta, Red Algae.

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy and Image File

The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams. Ryan Murphy