Stringy Acid Kelp - Desmarestia viridis

Stinky brown seaweed. It releases sulfuric acid when damaged, destroying itself and nearby seaweeds in the process.

Habitat: Intertidal zone

Photo can be seen in the book 'The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed: A Guide for Kids' by Amanda Swinimer

comments (4)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Love your attention to detail and consistent effort to document just about anything!

Taxonomy note: some map this species to kingdom plants, others to kingdom chromista. I've mapped this one from plants to chromista because it seems all our other brown algae are classified that way. I don't have a preference for either, as long as we pick one option and use it consistently :) Posted 6 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks Ferdy. I do love everything in nature :).
  
  Chromista sounds good to me, and I have absolutely no idea why I put it under Plants. Posted 6 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    It's not wrong at all, it appears under plants in formal documentation as well as under chromista, so we just need to take a pick and I prefer the lazy pick :) Posted 6 years ago
  2. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      Lazy pick works for me. Posted 6 years ago

The Stringy Acid Kelp

"Desmarestia viridis" is a species of brown algae found worldwide. The light brown thallus is delicate with a disc-shaped holdfast. It releases sulfuric acid when damaged, destroying itself and nearby seaweeds in the process. They are found in shallow intertidal areas.

Info 4 0

Similar species: Desmarestiales

Species identified by Christine Young