Melobesia mediocris on Phyllospadix sp.

Melobesia mediocris or the seagrass crust is a pink coralline algae which grows as an epiphyte on the surfgrass Phyllospadix sp. 

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Corallinales
Family: Hapalidiaceae
Genus: Melobesia
species: mediocris
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.Garry Fletcher

Mesophyllum sp.Photo by Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy photographer pointing to the the round epiphyte

Classification:
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Cryptonemiales
Family: Corallinaceae
Mesophyllum sp.

Description: This plant is erect, up to 2 cm. wide. Its colour is dark pink to purple. Shape is circular. It exists as a flattened growth epiphytic on many geniculate rhodophytes such as Bossiella sp.
Habitat: On geniculate rhodophytes in tide pools.
Pacific Coast Distribution: Alaska to California.
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