''Endocladia muricata'', commonly known as nailbrush seaweed or turfweed, is a

marine alga Marine primary production is the chemical synthesis in the ocean of organic compounds from atmospheric or dissolved carbon dioxide. It principally occurs through the process of photosynthesis, which uses light as its source of energy, but it a ...

that is widely distributed along the shores of the

North Pacific Ocean North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' ...

, from

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

to Punto Santo Tomas,

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

. ''E. muricata'' is common north of

Point Conception Point Conception (Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''Humqaq'') is a headland along the Gaviota Coast in southwestern Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is the point where the Santa Barbara Channel meets the Pacific Ocean, and as ...

, and is one of the most common algae in the high intertidal zone of the central California, coast. It commonly forms the top-most conspicuous band of seaweed along that coast. ''E. muricata'' often grows with '' Pelvetiopsis limitata'' (dwarf rockweed) and '' Mastocarpus papillatus'' (Turkish washcloth), on rocks in the high intertidal. Intertidal red algae
at SeaNet, Hopkins Marine Lab ''E. muricatas

thallus Thallus (: 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. A thallus usually names the entir ...

is 4–8 cm tall, short & bushy; branches cylindrical with sub-dichotomous branching; covered with minute, soft conical spines; blackish-brown to dark red to yellow. Dries to almost black. It is usually not slippery to walk on, dry or wet.

References

External links

Endocladia muricata
at

Algaebase AlgaeBase is a global species database of information on all groups of algae, both seaweed, marine and freshwater algae, freshwater, as well as sea-grass. History AlgaeBase began in March 1996, founded by Michael D. Guiry, Michael Guiry. Text ...

Photo of ''E. muricata'' with other seaweeds it commonly grows with
protected outer coast near

Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...

{{Taxonbar, from=Q20686733 Endocladiaceae