Dead man's fingers
Codium fragile
- On view
- Rocky Shore
- Animal type
- Plants & algaes
- Ecosystem
- Rocky shore
- Relatives
- Sea lettuce and other green seaweeds; Order: Codiales, Family: Codiaceae
- Diet
- Photosynthesis (converts energy from sunlight and nutrients)
- Range
- Temperate waters worldwide
- Size
- Up to 15 inches (38 cm)
About dead man's fingers
The dark, spongy "fingers" of this seaweed dangle from the tops and sides of rocks. In the constant struggle for living space in the intertidal and upper subtidal zones, this alga also plays host others. One species of small red alga specializes in living on clumps of dead man's fingers.
Conservation
Though it may look rugged, the rocky shore habitat of dead man's fingers is fragile. Rocky shore creatures are at risk from coastal development and from pollution, including waste oil and agricultural runoff. Some tide pools are in danger of being "loved to death" by visitors. Tread lightly as you explore tide pools to avoid crushing plants and animals, and always leave them in their homes when you return to yours.
Cool facts
- A clump of dead man's fingers is all one cell!
- At one time dead man's fingers were used as packing material for shipping live marine invertebrates.
Datos interesantes
- ¡Un grupo de dedos de muerto es en realidad una sola célula!
- En algún momento, los dedos de muerto se utilizaron como material de embalaje para enviar invertebrados marinos vivos.
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