Part A | 6.3
84 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
phase) is small, almost spherical tufts (similar to cotton
balls) of multiseriate branching threads (microscope required) [6.32].
Habitat. Both phases readily reproduce vegetatively.
Drift specimens of gametophyte readily attach to other
algae by barbed branchlets, and produce new shoots;
introduced from Southern Hemisphere [6.331].
Distribution. A. armata is native to the Southern
Hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand) but has been
introduced to the Northern Hemisphere, first recorded
in Europe in 1925 and since spreading throughout the
Channel Islands and all around Great Britain. A. armata is now found globally, from the Canary Islands
to Morocco and throughout the Pacific and Indian
Oceans [6.32, 331].
Uses and Compounds. A. armata extract is a powerful antioxidant with antibacterial qualities and is
a valued ingredient in many cosmetic products.
Present strong cytotoxicity against human cancer cell
lines [6.62, 316, 332]. A. armata is also harvested
or grown for the production of phycocolloid [6.333,
334].
The species has also been examined for its potential
as a source of pharmaceutical and bioactive agents since
its extracts contain anti-Leishmania [6.335], antioxidant [6.336], antiviral [6.337, 338], antifungal [6.62],
antimicrobial [6.62, 336, 339, 340] compounds.
Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile)
Trevisan de Saint-Léon
Common Name. Cat’s tail red seaweed.
Description. Thallus fluffy, fine, filamentous creeping mats or tufts, to 4 cm high, pale red to gray-pink;
branching irregular to alternate. Branches cylindrical, occasionally moniliform (with segments swollen
or bead-like), 3080 m diameter, central axial filament surrounded by 3 pericentral cells; cells commonly
pointed at tips, twice as long as broad, each set rotated approximately 60
ı ; apex with single prominent
apical cell cutting off lens-shaped cell basally; holdfast
initially disk-like, later becoming branched, tangled,
creeping, forming filamentous mass. Tetrasporangia
solitary on outer filaments, not in groups or series,
formed from one pericentral cell of segment. Fluffy
appearance and shaped like a Christmas tree. Grows
315 cm high [6.32, 341].
Habitat. A tropical/subtropical species; thalli are
epilithic; in shallow sublittoral habitats with heavy water motion.
Distribution. Globally distributed in tropical and subtropical seas: E Atlantic (Azores, Madeira, Canary
Islands, W Africa, Cape Verde Islands to Nigeria);
W Atlantic (Brazil); Caribbean; W Pacific (Japan,
China); NE Pacific (California, Mexico); Pacific Islands
(Hawaii); Indo-Pacific/Indian Ocean; Australia, New
Zealand.
Uses and Compounds. The species has been examined for its potential as a source of pharmaceutical and
bioactive agents since its extracts contain antifouling
and anticyanobacterial [6.342], antifungal [6.341], anticoagulant [6.343], and antimicrobial [6.341, 344, 345]
compounds.
Used fresh in Hawaii as limu kohu (generic
name for seaweed) to flavor meat and fish dishes
[6.341, 346].
Bonnemaisonia hamifera Hariot
Common Names. Bonnemaison’s Hook Weed; Pink
cotton wool.
Description. Gametophyte plants occurring from
March–June, brownish red, fronds feathery, with
a slightly flattened axis to 1 mm wide and 350 mm
long, attached to Cytstoseira and other algae
by crosier-shaped, hook-like modified branches.
Tetrasporophyte (Trailliella phase) plants occurring all
year round, but most obvious in October–March,
brownish red, much branched, filamentous, in
dense cotton-wool-like tufts to 25 mm in diameter
[6.347].
Habitat. Probably introduced from Japan at the end
of the last century; gametophyte first found in Europe
(Isle of Wight) in 1893, on rocks and other algae, lowest
littoral and sublittoral.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Scandinavia to Canary Islands); SE Atlantic (South Africa); Mediterranean;
NW Pacific (Russia, Japan); NE Pacific (California,
Mexico).
Uses and Compounds. Extracts of this species have
antibacterial [6.348, 349], antioxidant [6.350], and antihypertension [6.351] activity.
84 Part A Marine Flora and Fauna
phase) is small, almost spherical tufts (similar to cotton
balls) of multiseriate branching threads (microscope required) [6.32].
Habitat. Both phases readily reproduce vegetatively.
Drift specimens of gametophyte readily attach to other
algae by barbed branchlets, and produce new shoots;
introduced from Southern Hemisphere [6.331].
Distribution. A. armata is native to the Southern
Hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand) but has been
introduced to the Northern Hemisphere, first recorded
in Europe in 1925 and since spreading throughout the
Channel Islands and all around Great Britain. A. armata is now found globally, from the Canary Islands
to Morocco and throughout the Pacific and Indian
Oceans [6.32, 331].
Uses and Compounds. A. armata extract is a powerful antioxidant with antibacterial qualities and is
a valued ingredient in many cosmetic products.
Present strong cytotoxicity against human cancer cell
lines [6.62, 316, 332]. A. armata is also harvested
or grown for the production of phycocolloid [6.333,
334].
The species has also been examined for its potential
as a source of pharmaceutical and bioactive agents since
its extracts contain anti-Leishmania [6.335], antioxidant [6.336], antiviral [6.337, 338], antifungal [6.62],
antimicrobial [6.62, 336, 339, 340] compounds.
Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile)
Trevisan de Saint-Léon
Common Name. Cat’s tail red seaweed.
Description. Thallus fluffy, fine, filamentous creeping mats or tufts, to 4 cm high, pale red to gray-pink;
branching irregular to alternate. Branches cylindrical, occasionally moniliform (with segments swollen
or bead-like), 3080 m diameter, central axial filament surrounded by 3 pericentral cells; cells commonly
pointed at tips, twice as long as broad, each set rotated approximately 60
ı ; apex with single prominent
apical cell cutting off lens-shaped cell basally; holdfast
initially disk-like, later becoming branched, tangled,
creeping, forming filamentous mass. Tetrasporangia
solitary on outer filaments, not in groups or series,
formed from one pericentral cell of segment. Fluffy
appearance and shaped like a Christmas tree. Grows
315 cm high [6.32, 341].
Habitat. A tropical/subtropical species; thalli are
epilithic; in shallow sublittoral habitats with heavy water motion.
Distribution. Globally distributed in tropical and subtropical seas: E Atlantic (Azores, Madeira, Canary
Islands, W Africa, Cape Verde Islands to Nigeria);
W Atlantic (Brazil); Caribbean; W Pacific (Japan,
China); NE Pacific (California, Mexico); Pacific Islands
(Hawaii); Indo-Pacific/Indian Ocean; Australia, New
Zealand.
Uses and Compounds. The species has been examined for its potential as a source of pharmaceutical and
bioactive agents since its extracts contain antifouling
and anticyanobacterial [6.342], antifungal [6.341], anticoagulant [6.343], and antimicrobial [6.341, 344, 345]
compounds.
Used fresh in Hawaii as limu kohu (generic
name for seaweed) to flavor meat and fish dishes
[6.341, 346].
Bonnemaisonia hamifera Hariot
Common Names. Bonnemaison’s Hook Weed; Pink
cotton wool.
Description. Gametophyte plants occurring from
March–June, brownish red, fronds feathery, with
a slightly flattened axis to 1 mm wide and 350 mm
long, attached to Cytstoseira and other algae
by crosier-shaped, hook-like modified branches.
Tetrasporophyte (Trailliella phase) plants occurring all
year round, but most obvious in October–March,
brownish red, much branched, filamentous, in
dense cotton-wool-like tufts to 25 mm in diameter
[6.347].
Habitat. Probably introduced from Japan at the end
of the last century; gametophyte first found in Europe
(Isle of Wight) in 1893, on rocks and other algae, lowest
littoral and sublittoral.
Distribution. NE Atlantic (Scandinavia to Canary Islands); SE Atlantic (South Africa); Mediterranean;
NW Pacific (Russia, Japan); NE Pacific (California,
Mexico).
Uses and Compounds. Extracts of this species have
antibacterial [6.348, 349], antioxidant [6.350], and antihypertension [6.351] activity.