Dictyosphaeria cavernosa
(Forsskal) Borgesen
Green bubble algae, Green sea balls
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(c) Stephanie Michelle Soto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaDictyosphaeria cavernosa is a species of green algae (class Ulvophyceae) in the family Siphonocladaceae, one of the three species in this family. Its common name is green bubble seaweed. Dictyospharea cavernosa is multicellular with multiple bumps or bubbles on the surface. Dictyosphaeria cavernosa is hollow in contrast to its sister species D. versluysii of the same appearance which is solid. It grows about 12cm in diameter and possesses a green-yellow color while young.
Description
A tropical seaweed from the Valoniaceae family that grows near coral reefs, characterized by its distinctive appearance as a mass of small green balls.
Edible Uses
The algae/seaweed is consumed as a minor food.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows near coral reefs.
Where It Grows
Africa, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central America, China, Cuba, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Hawaii, Hispaniola, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Middle East, Mozambique, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Indies, Yemen,
Other Information
A minor food.
Notes
There are about 9 Dictyosphaeria species.
References (5)
- Heiba, H. I. et al, 1997 Fatty acid composition of twelve algae from the coastal zones of Qatar. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 51:27-34
- http://www.seavegetables.com
- Womersley, H.B. S. & Bailey, A., 1970, Marine algae of the Solomon Islands. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B. Biological Sciences 259:257-352
- www.algaebase.org
- Zemke-White, W. L. & Ohno, M., 1999, World seaweed utilisation: An end-of-century summary. Journal of Applied Phycology 11: 369-376
