Codiaceae Family of Green Macro Algae

One Green Macro Algae of the Codiacea Family can be found in this website:

Dead Man’s Fingers, Codium fragile subsp. californicum. A representative of the Codiaceae Family of Green Algae.

Phylogeny: The Codiaceae Family of Green Macro Algae is in the Chlorophyta phylum. This phylum is comprised of green algae that are found worldwide in a variety of habitats in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Those living predominantly in marine environments are referred to as chlorophytes. The name Chlorophyta comes from the Greek and simply means “green plants”. The Codiaceae Family is in the class Ulvophyceae. Algae in this class may exist in a variety of forms including filamentous, foliose (sheet-like), and siphonous (tubular branches). The order Bryopsidales is one of  thirteen orders in this class. Algae in this order are siphonous and strictly marine. They  are coenocytic, meaning their thallus (body) is composed of a single, giant tubular cell with many nuclei and chloroplasts. The order Bryopsidales consists of three suborders and thirteen families. The Codiaceae Family is moderately large, with no subfamilies, three genera, and one hundred sixty-two species. All but four of those species are in the genus Codium. The name Cadiaceae comes from the Greek word meaning “fleece” or “fleece-like”.

Morphology: Algae in the Codiacea Family have a single, unsegmented, body cell (thallus). They are branched and may be spherical, mat-like, or erect in form. The outer layer of the cell consists of densely packed siphons called utricles. The utricles may have hairs or reproductive structures (gametangia). These algae are small to medium in size, with few species having a maximum of 40 cm (15.7 inches) in length.

Habitat and Distribution: Codiaceae Algae are found attached to hard surfaces such as rocks, reefs, and concrete. They are found from exposed coastlines to protected waters. They often form small to large colonies. They live in the intertidal zone, and to depths greater than 150 m (492 feet). These algae are found worldwide in polar to tropical seas and are found along both  the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean coasts of Mexico.

Reproduction: Algae in the Codiacea Family can reproduce asexually through fragmentation, or sexually. Sexual reproduction involves the gametangia producing and releasing gametes into the water. When a male and a female gamete meet up, they form a diploid zygote. This zygote develops into a haploid thallus, which grows into a mature diploid plant.

Ecosystem Interactions: Algae in the Codiacea Family are an important source of food, structure and habitat for many fish and invertebrate species. Some algae in this family are highly invasive and damage native ecosystems.