BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Furcellaria lumbricalis

Researched by

Will Rayment

Data supplied by

MarLIN

Refereed by

This information is not refereed.

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Furcellaria lumbricalis

Common name

A red seaweed

MCS Code

ZM337

Recent Synonyms

Furcellaria fastigiata, Fucus fastigiata

Phylum

Rhodophycota

Subphylum

Superclass

Class

Rhodophyceae

Subclass

Florideophycidae

Order

Gigartinales

Suborder

Family

Furcellariaceae

Genus

Furcellaria

Species

lumbricalis

Subspecies

Additional Information

Taxonomy References

Dickinson, 1963, Fish & Fish, 1996, Dixon & Irvine, 1977, Bird et al., 1991,

General Biology

Growth form

Arborescent / Arbuscular

Feeding method

Photoautotroph

Mobility/Movement

Permanent attachment

Environmental position

Epilithic
Pelagic

Typical food types

Not relevant

Habit

Attached

Bioturbator

Not relevant

Flexibility

High (>45 degrees)

Fragility

Fragile

Size

Medium-large(21-50cm)

Height

Up to 30 cm

Growth Rate

1.3% increase in fresh weight / day

Adult dispersal potential

None

Dependency

Independent

Sociability

Solitary

Toxic/Poisonous?

General Biology Additional Information

Size at maturity
Plants become fertile when they achieve their full size of 90-300mm according to habitat, during the 4th to 6th year (Austin 1960a,b).
Growth rate
Bird et al. (1979) reported growth rates of Furcellaria lumbricalis in the laboratory as a doubling in weight in 25-50 days or a 3.3% increase in fresh weight per day. For comparison, the corresponding rates for Chondrus crispus are 10 days and 7.3%, and for Fucus serratus are 12.5 days and 6.2%. These figures suggest that Furcellaria lumbricalis grows slowly in comparison to other red and brown seaweeds. The reported growth rates from the field are even slower. Blinova (1975) (cited in Bird et al., 1979) recorded a doubling in fresh weight every 167 days and Taylor (1975) (cited in Bird et al., 1979) recorded a 1.3% increase in fresh weight per day. From a site in Wales, Austin (1960b) reported annual length increments of 29-37mm in fronds initially ranging from 10-60mm in length.
Environmental position
As well as the commoner epilithic form, a free floating variant Furcellaria lumbricalis forma aegagropila has been reported forming rafts several metres thick on the Danish coast and may occur in Scottish and Irish sea lochs (Levring et al., 1969). The free floating form has a globose thallus of radiating fronds and is smaller in stature and frond diameter, with denser and less regular branching than the attached form (Bird et al., 1991).

Biology References

Dickinson, 1963, Fish & Fish, 1996, Dixon & Irvine, 1977, Bird et al., 1991, Austin, 1960a, Austin, 1960b, Bird et al., 1979, Levring et al., 1969, Sharp et al., 1993, Barton, 1901,

Distribution and Habitat

Distribution in Britain & Ireland

Occurs around all coasts of Britain and Ireland. There is a paucity of records from eastern England which may reflect a lack of suitable substrata.

Global distribution

In Europe, from northern Norway to the Bay of Biscay, including the Faroe Islands and the Baltic Sea. Possibly occurs in Greenland and Iceland. In North America, occurs in Newfoundland and the Gulf of St Lawrence and its outer coasts.

Biogeographic range

Not researched

Depth range

In pools in eulittoral to 30m

Migratory

Non-migratory / Resident

Distribution Additional Information

Around Prince Edward Island, Canada, Furcellaria lumbricalis is sometimes found growing epiphytically on Phyllophora sp. (Sharp et al., 1993).

Substratum preferences

Bedrock
Large to very large boulders
Small boulders
Water column (pelagic)
Rockpools
Cobbles
Pebbles
Algae

Physiographic preferences

Strait / sound
Sealoch
Enclosed coast / Embayment

Biological zone

Upper Eulittoral
Lower Eulittoral
Upper Infralittoral
Upper Circalittoral
Upper Eulittoral
Mid Eulittoral
Sublittoral Fringe
Lower Infralittoral

Wave exposure

Exposed
Moderately Exposed
Sheltered
Very Sheltered
Extremely Sheltered

Tidal stream strength/Water flow

Moderately Strong (1-3 kn)
Weak (<1 kn)
Very Weak (negligible)

Salinity

Variable (18-40 psu)
Reduced (18-30 psu)
Low (<18 psu)

Habitat Preferences Additional Information

Distribution References

Dickinson, 1963, Fish & Fish, 1996, Dixon & Irvine, 1977, Bird et al., 1991, Austin, 1960a, Austin, 1960b, Levring et al., 1969, Norton, 1985, Sharp et al., 1993, Hardy & Guiry, 2003,

Reproduction/Life History

Reproductive type

Vegetative
Gonochoristic
See additional information

Developmental mechanism

Spores (sexual / asexual)

Reproductive Season

December to April

Reproductive Location

Insufficient information

Reproductive frequency

Annual episodic

Regeneration potential

Life span

Insufficient information

Age at reproductive maturity

3-5 years

Generation time

6-10 years

Fecundity

1 million

Egg/propagule size

50 µm diameter spores

Fertilization type

Larvae/Juveniles
Larval/Juvenile dispersal potential	Insufficient information	Larval settlement period	Insufficient information
Duration of larval stage	Insufficient information

Reproduction Preferences Additional Information

Reproductive Type
The typical attached form of Furcellaria lumbricalis reproduces asexually through tetrasporangial plants and sexually through dioecious gametangial plants (Dixon & Irvine, 1977). The male and female plants are usually in equal proportions but are outnumbered by the tetrasporophytes. The free floating form Furcellaria lumbricalis forma aegagropila reproduces only vegetatively through fragmentation, regeneration and proliferation (Bird et al., 1991). Proliferation, where propagules develop on the parent plant and then detach, is probably the most important mechanism.
Reproduction and seasonality
The mode and timing of reproduction in Furcellaria lumbricalis was reviewed by Dixon & Irvine (1977) and Bird et al. (1991). On the male plants, spermatangial ramuli begin development in late October, developing superficially in the much swollen apical regions and are conspicuous until late April or early May. Discharge of the spermatia occurs from December to April with a peak in February and March. On the female plants, the carpogonial branches are initiated in late December, with carpogonia developing internally in the apical regions. Fertilization probably only occurs over a short period commencing in mid January. The zygote is retained on the female plant but the carposporophyte is not obvious until mid summer. Maturation of the carposporophytes does not occur until a year after fertilization, with a massive discharge of carpospores occurring over a 2-4 week period from late December. 1 million 35-50µm diameter carpospores may be released from an average sized plant when a tract of cells disintegrates forming an ill defined pore to the exterior.
On diploid plants, tetrasporangia are initiated in early April and develop in markedly thickened apical regions. They mature in December and 1-2 million tetraspores are liberated per plant over 2 weeks following disintegration of the thallus surface.
The fruiting pods of all plants fall when they are past maturity and new shoots arise from the resulting truncated tips.

Reproduction References

Dickinson, 1963, Dixon & Irvine, 1977, Bird et al., 1991, Austin, 1960a, Austin, 1960b, Levring et al., 1969,