Halimeda is one of themost familiar green algae on tropical reefs and one of the most quietlyimportant: its thallus is built from chains of small calcified, kidney- tofan-shaped segments jointed end to end, and because those segments arestiffened with calcium carbonate, the alga is a major producer of reef sand andcarbonate sediment — by some estimates responsible for a substantial share ofthe carbonate in reef systems. It grows in low, sprawling clumps from a fibrousholdfast on sand, rock and dead coral, and its distinctive pale yellow-greentone comes from the calcification showing through the tissue. At 25cm, thispiece brings that segmented texture and characteristic colour to reef andlagoon builds — a green counterpoint to the reds and browns, correct fortropical scenes in a way a temperate seaweed never is.
Habitat/Exhibit use:
Tropical and subtropicalworldwide: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Caribbean, Mediterranean. For reef flat,lagoon and sand-bed planting, and in reef exhibits where a naturally tropicalgreen is wanted.
