Catenella Caespitosa
Catenella caespitosa is a small red marine alga. Description This small alga grows to 20 mm high from a discoid holdfast and dark brown in colour. Very irregularly branched, creeping moss-like and terete. Branches easily seen to be constricted at intervals. Medulla, the inner cells, formed of thick-walled filaments and with a cortex of rows of elongated cells radially arranged compact cells.Dixon, P.S. and Irvine, L.M. 1977 ''Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 1 Rhodophyta Part 1 Introduction, Nemaliales, Gigartinales.''Campbell, A.C.1984. ''The Country Life Guide to the Seashore and Shallow Seas of Britain and Europe'' Habitat, ecology ''Catanella caespitosa'' occurs in shaded sites on rock and around the holdfasts of the fucoids of the upper littoral. Distribution Recorded around the British Isles, from Norway to the Mediterranean and further from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Reproduction The alga is monoecious, that is both male and female parts to be found on the sam ...
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Holdfast (biology)
A holdfast is a root-like structure that anchors aquatic sessile organisms, such as seaweed, other sessile algae, stalked crinoids, benthic cnidarians, and sponges, to the substrate. Holdfasts vary in shape and form depending on both the species and the substrate type. The holdfasts of organisms that live in muddy substrates often have complex tangles of root-like growths. These projections are called haptera and similar structures of the same name are found on lichens. The holdfasts of organisms that live in sandy substrates are bulb-like and very flexible, such as those of sea pens, thus permitting the organism to pull the entire body into the substrate when the holdfast is contracted. The holdfasts of organisms that live on smooth surfaces (such as the surface of a boulder) have flattened bases which adhere to the surface. The organism derives no nutrition from this intimate contact with the substrate, as the process of liberating nutrients from the substrate requir ...
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