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Sparlingia pertusa (Red islet silk)
Copyright © 2007 Jan Holmes
Main blades of this beautiful reddish rose seaweed are up to one meter (39 in.) long and about half as wide, tapering to a small discoid holdfast. The holes in the blade are naturally occurring, not the result of grazing. O'Clair and Lindstrom in North Pacific Seaweeds, say the holes might be caused by a fungal infection. Blades may at times be covered with small bumps which have a reproductive function in the life history of the alga. Sparlingia is most often found in high energy areas from the low intertidal to shallow subtidal.
This
page was created by Jan Holmes on 1/23/07.
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