Himanthalia elongata

Description

Himanthalia elongata is very distinctive on the shore as long, strap-like fronds hanging down in tangled masses from rocks on the lower shore. At high tide the fronds float in tangled mats on the surface where they obstruct progress of small craft. The young plants appear like shiny greenish-yellow buttons (about 2 cm in diameter) attached to rock surfaces, normally with the small yellow shoots of the new frond visible. These fronds arise from the center of these 'buttons' and divide into paired branches.

Distribution

A common seaweed of the lower and lower middle shore only found in the east Atlantic from northern Norway down to northern Portugal. Himanthalia elongata is found in Ireland at the more exposed coasts were rocks as a suitable substratum is available.

Himanthalia elongata in a rock pool at Spiddál, Co. Galway, Ireland

Nutritional analysis

Clusters of Himanthalia at the low shore of Inis Maín