Liagora ceranoides J.V.Lamour.

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus to 11 cm high, pale pink to grey, lightly calcified, mucilaginous, irregularly or dichotomously branched every 2–20 mm, with many proliferous lateral branches to 10 mm long; pressed specimens strongly adherent. Main axes to 2.5 mm in diameter basally, tapering to 0.2 mm near apices.

Reproduction. Monoecious. Spermatangia arising singly or in pairs on mother cells borne on outer cortical cells. Carpogonial branches 3- or 4-celled, moderately to strongly curved, borne on basal to mid-cortical cells; vegetative cell subtending the carpogonial branch usually undergoing a transverse division during the formation of the carpogonial branch, resulting in a supporting cell shorter than corresponding vegetative cells. Involucral filaments, arising from the cells above and below the supporting cell, possibly before fertilisation; first involucral filaments proximally directed from the cell above the supporting cell and distally directed from the cell below it, later dividing to envelop the carpogonial branch. Involucre developing further and loosely surrounding the carpogonial branch, composed of mostly unbranched filaments; cells generally cylindrical to slightly moniliform, smaller in diameter than those of assimilatory filaments. Mature gonimoblasts hemispherical in section, compact, circular in polar view, with a halo of involucral filaments sharply demarcated from the gonimoblast and not mingling with it. Fusion cell formed from cells of the carpogonial branch.

Distribution. Known from Shark Bay, W. Aust., around northern Australia to Lord Howe I. Widespread in tropical seas.

Habitat. L. ceranoides occurs from intertidal pools to 27 m depth, epilithic or epiphytic.