Range
Corallina officinalis var. chilensis is found from Alaska (USA) to Mexico. It has also been recorded in Peru, Chile, and the Galapagos Islands.
Habitat
C. officinalis var. chilensis is found from the low intertidal to subtidal zones but is also found in drainage runnels or deep pools higher in the intertidal zone (Algaebase, 2018). This species is usually seen in semi-protected to exposed rocks.
Morphology and Identification
Corallina officinalis var. chilensis is an articulated coralline (Red algae) with a disk shaped crustose holdfast. The color ranges from whitish pink to purplish lilac. It usually grows to 10-15 cm tall, although growth is often stunted. It has oppositely pinnate branches getting progressively shorter near the apex. Branches typically lie on 1 plane with flat, non-winged intergenicula. Intergenicula are more tall than broad. C. officinalis var. chilensis is typically taller, more flat, and less densely branched compared to C. pinnatifolia and C. vancouveriensis. When comparing to other species, Haliptilon squamatum is a species rarely found in lower-shore rock pools, and it has shield-shaped articulations but can be difficult to distinguish from Corallina officinalis. Additionally, Corallina elongata is smaller and more regularly branched.
Common name | Algae, Red Algae |
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Region | Alaska to British Columbia, Channel Islands North, Channel Islands South, Government Point to Mexico, San Francisco to Government Point, WA Olympic Coast to San Francisco |