Padina elegans Womersley
It being March, we have another seaweed for you. Padina elegans (Peacock’s Tail) is an unusual species that belongs to the only genus of Australian brown algae that is calcified, which can be seen in the photo as the whitish layer on one surface. Eight species of Padina are found in Western Australia, separated by features such as the number of cell layers in the fan-shaped blades and the position of reproductive structures. These can be seen in the photo clustered in dark brown arcs that appear to be erupting through the calcified layer. Padina elegans grows on subtidal rock and is known from the Perth region as far north as the Dampier Archipelago.
Photo: J.M. Huisman