''Pelagophycus'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus of

kelp Kelps are large brown algae or seaweeds that make up the order (biology), order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genus, genera. Despite its appearance and use of photosynthesis in chloroplasts, kelp is technically not a plant but a str ...

. It is found in deep waters off the west coast of central North America. The species ''Pelagophycus porra'', also known as elk kelp, grows in temperatures of no higher than . It grows in

subtidal The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminate ...

forests in the coastal waters off southern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and northwestern Baja California Peninsula, in waters of to deep, anchored by a

holdfast Holdfast most often refers to: *Holdfast (biology), a root-like structure that anchors aquatic sessile organisms to their substrate *Holdfast (tool), a tool used to secure a workpiece to a workbench or anvil Holdfast or hold fast may also refer t ...

in sedimentary or loose sediment bottoms.Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013
''Pelagophycus'' Areschoug, 1881
AlgaeBase, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 7 February 2013. Three

ecotype Ecotypes are organisms which belong to the same species but possess different phenotypical features as a result of environmental factors such as elevation, climate and predation. Ecotypes can be seen in wide geographical distributions and may event ...

s are recognized: :''Pelagophycus giganteus'' :''Pelagophycus porra'' :''Pelagophycus intermedius''

References

Further reading