Codium arabicum Kützing
Green sea cushion
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Family:  Codiaceae ()
Max. size: 
Environment:  epiphytic; marine
Distribution:  Indian Ocean: from Egypt to Mozambique, including the Red Sea, Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues and Mascarene Islands, east to India and south to Dampier, Western Australia, including Andaman Sea, Laccadive Islands, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nicobar Islands; Pacific Ocean: from China to the south China Sea, south to New Zealand, including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Norfolk Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, Lord Howe Island, Tasmania and French Polynesia, east to Chile, including Samoan Archipelago and Hawaiian Islands.
Diagnosis:  Thallus forming a dark green, amorphous to convoluted spongy mass, composed of central medulla and cortex. Medulla consisting of branched cylindrical filaments, their tips inflated into cylindrical to clavate utricles forming the cortex.Hairs or hair scars occur in 1 to 3 vertical rows, at some distance from the tip of the utricle. Gametangia cylindrical and tapering towards both ends, borne at the side of the proximal portion of the utricle. Amorphous clumps up to 5 cm in diameter (Ref. 80758).
Biology:  Used for human consumption and as medicine (Ref. 80758). Inhabits lower intertidal to shallow subtidal areas where it grows encrusted on sandy-rocky substrate or epiphytic on stipes of larger seaweeds and midribs of the seagrass Enhalus (Ref. 80758).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 

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