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Bluish
y-branch brown seaweed
Dictyota dichotoma*
Family Dictyotaceae
updated
Feb 13
Where
seen? Forming a clump of blue-tinged y-shaped blades, this
seaweed is sometimes seen on our Southern shores, on coral rubble.
Features: Flat, strap-like structures
about 0.5-1cm wide and 5-7cm long. Regular branching on the same plane,
forming distinct y-shapes with roundedtips. It has no 'veins' down
the middle of the blade. The
outer edges of the blade has a pattern of fine bars that form alternating
blocks of dark and light blue sometimes forming a 'chequered' pattern
on the rest of the blade as well. Generally light brown, sometimes
maroon with a bluish tinge. Entire seaweed often forms an overall
ball-shape.
Human uses: Strap brown seaweed
is eaten by people and used as animal feed, medicine for its antibacterial
properties. D. dichotoma is also used to make beer, frozen
food, fruit juices, ice cream, jellies, in meat and flavour sauces,
milk shakes, pastries and salad dressings. Extracts from it are also
used in industry as emulsifiers, gelling agents, stabilisers.
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Pulau Tekukor, Oct 10
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Labrador, Jan 06
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Sentosa, Jan 06
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Sentosa, Oct 04
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Lazarus Island, Feb 11
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*Seaweed species are difficult to positively identify without microscopic
examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of
display.
Bluish
y-branch brown seaweed on Singapore shores |
Pulau Biola, Dec 09
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Links
References
- Pham, M.
N., H. T. W. Tan, S. Mitrovic & H. H. T. Yeo, 2011. A
Checklist of the Algae of Singapore, 2nd Edition. Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore,
Singapore. 99 pp. Uploaded 1 October 2011. [PDF, 1.58 MB].
- Huisman,
John M. 2000. Marine
Plants of Australia University of Western Australia Press. 300pp.
- Calumpong,
H. P. & Menez, E. G., 1997.Field
Guide to the Common Mangroves, Seagrasses and Algae of the Philippines.
Bookmark, Inc., the Philippines. 197 pp.
- Trono, Gavino.
C. Jr., 1997. Field
Guide and Atlas of the Seaweed Resources of the Philippines..
Bookmark, Inc., the Philippines. 306 pp.
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