Sea sac

  
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Habitat

 

H. glandiforme individuals in the upper intertidal, above the mussel habitat at Botany Beach, Vancouver Island, B.C. 5/9/2009

Individuals that have settle and grown on the shell of an intertidal limpet. Combined height of algae and limpet approximately 6 cm. Photo taken at midlevel of intertidal zone at Botany Beach, Vancouver Island, B.C. 5/8/2009

 

 

  

 

 

Habitat

Halosaccion glandiforme can be found in the upper zone of the rocky intertidal in bare patches of mussel beds or on exposed rock surfaces (Murru & Sandgren 2004).  This species shows a preference corners and edges on smooth substrata, but will distribute relatively evenly over a rough surface (Johnson 1994).  In some cases, it will even settle and grow on mobile organisms (see photo on lower left). This characteristic is known as epizoic growth.

Distribution

This species can be found ranging all along the West Coast of North America from as far south as California, up to the Aleutian Isles in the north (see Algaebase.com for full distribution citations).

Proximity to a cluster of Halosaccion may serve as a refuge for organisms that mus avoid desiccation stress, such as limpets. Photo taken at Botany Beach, Vancouver Island, B.C. 5/9/2009

 

References:

Murru, M and CD Sandgren. 2004. Habitat matters for inorganic carbon acquisition in 38 species of red macroalgae (Rhodophyta) from Puget Sound, Washington, Usa. Journal of Phycology. 40: 837–845.