''Codium spongiosum'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ke ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Codiaceae Codiaceae is a family of green algae in the order Bryopsidales. Genera * † '' Abacella'' Maslov * '' Appeninocodium'' O.Dragastan * '' Arabicodium'' G.F.Elliott * '' Bevocastria'' E.J.Garwood * '' Botryella'' V.P.Shuysky * '' Boueina'' F ...

. The light-green

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or " twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms ...

has an applanate to pulvinate habit and is usually around across and thick. It has irregular lobes and moderately firm while alive becoming more spongy once dead. The utricles form in large clusters and are long and coated in many hairs. The species is similar to '' Codium lucasii'' which adheres more tightly to rock surfaces. It is epilithic in the subtidal to intertidal zones. Mostly situated in calmer waters from the low tide mark to several metres depth. It is often found in warmer waters but has a scattered distribution in colder waters. The species was first formally described by the botanist Harvey in 1855 in ''Some account of the marine botany of the colony of Western Australia,'' published in the ''Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy''. The type specimen was collected from

King George Sound King George Sound ( nys , Menang Koort) is a sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Named King George the Third's Sound in 1791, it was referred to as King George's Sound from 1805. The name "King George Sound" gradually came into use ...

along the south coast of Western Australia. In Western Australia is found along the coast in the Kimberley and as far south as the

Recherche Archipelago The Archipelago of the Recherche, known locally as the Bay of Isles, is a group of 105 islands, and over 1200 "obstacles to shipping", off the south coast of Western Australia. The islands stretch from east to west and to off-shore encom ...

. It is also found along South Australian coasts on the

Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Originally called Eyre’s Peninsula, it was named af ...

Yorke Peninsula The Yorke Peninsula is a peninsula located northwest and west of Adelaide in South Australia, between Spencer Gulf on the west and Gulf St Vincent on the east. The peninsula is separated from Kangaroo Island to the south by Investigator Strait ...

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southw ...

and

Fleurieu Peninsula The Fleurieu Peninsula () is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide. History Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western side of the peninsula was occupied by the ...

. It is common in all tropical and subtropical waters.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q48997049 spongiosum Plants described in 1855