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Ochrophyta · Brown Seaweed

Petalonia sp.

Phylum
Ochrophyta
Class
Phaeophyceae
Order
Ectocarpales
Family
Scytosiphonaceae

Petalonia sp.

False kelp

The thallus is a light to medium brown blade that tapers below to a tiny discoidal holdfast but lacks the complex cell differentiation of true kelps. The blade is thinner than kelps, and the margins are smooth. The thallus can grow up to 35 cm (14 in) tall.

Habitat

This annual is found growing on rock in the mid intertidal to shallow subtidal from protected to semi-exposed habitats.

North Pacific Distribution

Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico; China; Korea; Japan; Russia

Former scientific names

misidentified as Petalonia fascia

Similar taxa

young Laminaria, young Saccharina, Punctaria, young Hedophyllum

References

Last updated December 26, 2010

Photos