Bottlebrush green seaweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bottlebrush green seaweed |
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| Caulerpa webbiana f. tomentella | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Caulerpa
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| Species: |
webbiana
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Caulerpa webbiana, also known as bottlebrush green seaweed, is a type of seaweed. It belongs to the Caulerpaceae family. This seaweed gets its common name because it looks a lot like a bottlebrush.
What Does It Look Like?
This seaweed has a body, called a thallus, that is olive green to bright green. It can spread out to be about 12 to 20 centimeters (5 to 8 inches) wide. It often grows in thick clumps.
Its stems are usually about 4 to 6 centimeters (1.5 to 2.5 inches) long. These stems have many tiny, fine branches, like bristles. These bristles are arranged in circles around a central creeping stem, called a stolon. This arrangement makes the seaweed look like a stiff bottlebrush.
How Was It Discovered?
The bottlebrush green seaweed was first officially described in 1837. A botanist named Camille Montagne gave it its scientific name. He wrote about it in a scientific paper.
Later, in 1849, another scientist named Friedrich Traugott Kützing gave it a different name, Chauvinia webbiana. However, Montagne's name was given first, so Caulerpa webbiana is the correct one. The first sample of this seaweed was found near Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
Where Does It Live?
This seaweed likes to live in warm waters. You can often find it growing in sand or mud. It also grows on coral reefs.
It is found in many places around the world. These include the Canary Islands, islands in the Caribbean, and Hawaii. You can also find it in parts of Asia, like Singapore. In Western Australia, it grows along the coast in the Kimberley area. It also extends south to the Houtman Abrolhos.
