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Womersleyella setacea, the red seaweed, is an invasive red algae that originally comes from the Indo-Pacific and now overgrows the most important coral builders, the calcareous red algae, in the Mediterranean.
This algae settles as an epiphyte on native algae and aquatic plants and suffocates them in a short time.
Womersleyella setacea is pinkish-red to brownish in color and forms perennial, extensive, dense, cotton-like tufts 1 cm high.
The red algae is said to prefer dimly lit habitats with a preference for low temperatures.
It is easily confused with Acrothamnion preissii (Sonder) E.M.Wollaston, 1968, another invasive red algae.
Reproduction is said to occur mainly through fragmentation, a form of vegetative propagation.
Womersleyella setacea is suspected of displacing native macroalgae and benthic invertebrates on the rocky sea beds of the Mediterranean.
It no longer seems possible to contain this species, which is now considered a pest, and economic losses, e.g., in regional fisheries, are to be feared.
There are no known predators that could help control the algae.
Synonym:
Polysiphonia setacea Hollenberg, 1968 · unaccepted (synonym)
This algae settles as an epiphyte on native algae and aquatic plants and suffocates them in a short time.
Womersleyella setacea is pinkish-red to brownish in color and forms perennial, extensive, dense, cotton-like tufts 1 cm high.
The red algae is said to prefer dimly lit habitats with a preference for low temperatures.
It is easily confused with Acrothamnion preissii (Sonder) E.M.Wollaston, 1968, another invasive red algae.
Reproduction is said to occur mainly through fragmentation, a form of vegetative propagation.
Womersleyella setacea is suspected of displacing native macroalgae and benthic invertebrates on the rocky sea beds of the Mediterranean.
It no longer seems possible to contain this species, which is now considered a pest, and economic losses, e.g., in regional fisheries, are to be feared.
There are no known predators that could help control the algae.
Synonym:
Polysiphonia setacea Hollenberg, 1968 · unaccepted (synonym)
