Corallina officinalis

Researched By	Dr Harvey Tyler-Walters	Data Supplied By	MarLIN
Refereed by	Dr Thomas Wiedemann
Taxonomy
Scientific name	Corallina officinalis	Common name	Coral weed
MCS Code	ZM204	Recent Synonyms	Corallina officinalis var. flabellifera
Phylum	Rhodophycota	Subphylum
Superclass		Class	Rhodophyceae
Subclass	Florideophycidae	Order	Corallinales
Suborder		Family	Corallinaceae
Genus	Corallina	Species	officinalis
Subspecies
Additional Information	Also known as 'Cunach Tra' or 'An Fheamainn Choirealach' in Ireland. Growth form can be variable, for example: stunted specimens occur in high shore pools much branched forms in the lower littoral thick elongate forms in sublittoral In Norway fronds 1-2 cm long recorded in lower littoral in contrast to 10-17 cm long fronds in pools. This variability has resulted in numerous species descriptions that are probably synonymous with Corallina officinalis (Irvine & Chamberlain 1994).
Taxonomy References	Fish & Fish, 1996, Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, Dickinson, 1963, Hiscock, 1986(b), Guiry, 2000
General Biology
Growth form	Articulate, Crustose hard, Pinnate, Turf	Feeding method	Photoautotroph
Mobility/Movement	Permanent attachment	Environmental position	Epifloral
Typical food types	Not relevant	Habit	Attached
Bioturbator	Not relevant	Flexibility	Low (10-45 degrees)
Fragility	Intermediate	Size	Medium(11-20 cm)
Height		Growth Rate	2.2 mm / month
Adult dispersal potential	None	Dependency	Independent
Sociability	Gregarious
Toxic/Poisonous?	No
Additional Information	The biology of articulate corallines was reviewed by Johanssen (1974). In culture Corallina officinalis fronds exhibited an average growth rate of 2.2 mm/month at 12 and 18 deg C. Growth rate was only 0.2 mm/month at 6 deg C and no growth was observed at 25 deg C (Colhart & Johanssen 1973). The crustose holdfast or base is perennial and grows apically, similar to encrusting corallines such as Lithothamnia sp.. The basal crust may grow continuously until stimulated to produce fronds (Littler & Kauker 1984; Colhart & Johanssen 1973). Growth rates may be comparable to encrusting corallines, for example, 2 -7mm per year was reported for Lithophyllum incrustans (Littler 1972). Fronds are highly sensitive to desiccation and do not recover from an 15 percent water loss, which might occur within 40 -45 minutes during a spring tide in summer (Wiedemann 1994). Littler & Kauker (1984) suggest that the crustose bases were adapted to resist grazing and desiccation whereas the fronds were adapted for higher primary productivity and reproduction. Corallina officinalis may support epiphytes, including Mesophyllum lichenoides, Titanoderma pustulatum, and Titanoderma corallinae, the latter causing tissue damage (Irvine & Chamberlain 1994). Corallina officinalis may be overgrown by epiphytes, especially during summer. This overgrowth regularly leads to high mortality of fronds due to light reduction (Wiedemann pers comm.). Other, crustose corallines produce anti-epiphytal substances, like e.g. allelopathics (Suzuki et al. 1998), however, this type of substance has not been found yet in Corallina officinalis.
Biology References	Fish & Fish, 1996, Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, Dickinson, 1963, Colhart & Johanssen, 1973, Johansen, 1974, Littler, 1972, Littler & Kauker, 1984, Dommasnes, 1968, Bamber & Irving, 1993, Wiedemann, 1994, Padilla, 1984, Rosenvinge, 1917
Distribution and Habitat
Distribution in Britain & Ireland	Generally distributed around all shores of the British Isles.
Global distribution	Recorded widely in the north Atlantic, from northern Norway to Morocco, from Greenland to Argentina. Also reported in Japan, China and Australasia.
Biogeographic range	Not researched	Depth range	0 - 18m
Migratory	Non-migratory / Resident
Distribution Additional Information	In exposed conditions it may grow as a cushion like or compact turf (Irvine & Chamberlain 1994; Dommasnes 1968). Corallina officinalis growing under macroalgal canopies may be abraded and fronds shortened by macroalgal lamina moved by tidal action. Recorded from Scandinavia, Iceland, northern Norway, Baltic Sea, Helgoland, Faroes, Netherlands, northern France, Spain, Portugal, the Azores, Morocco, Madeira, and the Canary Islands in the north east Atlantic. Reported from Spain, Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Scilly, Adriatic, Greece, Turkey, Levant States, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria in the Mediterranean. It is also recorded from west coast of South Africa., Japan, China, Australia (Queensland) and New Zealand. Also recorded from Greenland and Arctic Canada to the USA, Caribbean Venezuela, Columbia and Argentina.
Substratum preferences	Artificial (e.g. metal/wood/concrete), Bedrock, Large to very large boulders, Rockpools, Crevices / fissures	Physiographic preferences	Open coast, Strait / sound, Sealoch, Ria / Voe, Estuary, Enclosed coast / Embayment
Biological zone	Mid Eulittoral, Sublittoral Fringe, Upper Infralittoral, Lower Eulittoral	Wave exposure	Very Exposed, Exposed, Moderately Exposed, Sheltered
Tidal stream strength/Water flow	Moderately Strong (1-3 kn), Weak (<1 kn), Very Weak (negligible)	Salinity	Variable (18-40 psu), Full (30-40 psu)
Habitat Additional Information
Distribution References	Fish & Fish, 1996, Irvine & Chamberlain, 1994, Dickinson, 1963, Guiry, 2000, Norton, 1985, JNCC, 1999, Picton & Costello, 1998, Johansen, 1974, Dommasnes, 1968, Bamber & Irving, 1993, Hardy & Guiry, 2003
Reproduction/Life History
Reproductive type	Alternation of generations, Isogamous	Developmental mechanism	See additional information, Spores (sexual / asexual)
Reproductive Season	See additional information	Reproductive Location	Insufficient information
Reproductive frequency	Annual episodic	Regeneration potential	No
Life span	Insufficient information	Age at reproductive maturity	Insufficient information
Generation time	Insufficient information	Fecundity	Insufficient information
Egg/propagule size	Not researched	Fertilization type	Insufficient information
Larvae/Juveniles Larval/Juvenile dispersal potential Insufficient information Larval settlement period Duration of larval stage 2-10 days
Additional Information	The typical life cycle of members of the Florideophycidae is summarised as follows: Male haploid gametophytes release male gametes (spermatia) from spermatangia on male fronds. Female haploid gametophytes produce the female gamete, the carpogonium on female fronds After fusion (fertilization) the carposporophyte develops, enclosed in a cystocarp and releases diploid carpospores. Carpospores develop into the tetrasporophyte, a diploid sporophyte stage. The sporophyte develops tetrasporangia in which haploid tetraspores are formed by meiosis. The tetraspores develop into gametophytes. The gametophyte and sporophyte stages in the order Corallinaceae are isomorphic (Bold & Wynne 1978). In the Corallinaceae the reproductive organs are sunken into cavities called conceptacles. Male conceptacles are beaked. Gametophytes bear densely crowded conceptacles and are usually smaller and more irregular in shape than tetrasporangial plants. Reproductive bodies and spores are described in detail by Irvine & Chamberlain (1994). Tetrasporangia may be seen throughout the year but gametangial conceptacles are rare in the British Isles (Irvine & Chamberlain 1994). In Denmark fronds were reported to cease growing in summer, sloughed in autumn, and new fronds initiated from crustose, perenniating bases in late winter (Rosenvinge 1917 cited in Johanssen 1974). Released tetraspores settle within 48hrs, and develop into 4 celled stage (each cell capable of forming a sporophyte if others are destroyed), which calcifies quickly, and grows 3.6 micrometers per day at 17 -20 deg C, sporeling formed within 48hrs, a crustose base within 72hrs, fronds being initiated after 3 weeks and the first intergeniculum (segment) formed within 13 weeks (Jones & Moorjani 1973). Corallina officinalis shows optimal settlement on finely rough artificial substrata (0.5 - 1mm surface particle diameter). Although spores will settle and develop as crustose bases on smooth surfaces, fronds were only initiated on rough surfaces. Corallina officinalis settled on artificial substrata within one week in the field in summer months in New England (Harlin & Lindbergh 1977). However, in the laboratory fronds can grow from bases attached to smooth surfaces (Wiedeman pers comm.).
Reproduction References	Johansen, 1974, Littler & Kauker, 1984, Harlin & Lindbergh, 1977, Jones & Moorjani, 1973.