Hays Creek Estuary/ --- VAUCHERIA Association
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A= Vaucheria turfs (or carpets)The Vaucheria is forming a skin over extensive areas of mudflat It is all woven together—it could possibly be a single plant One can lift it with a trowel like a pelt taken off an animal— The close up (see below) looks almost like a green animal fur |
Need Reproduction to identify species
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Vaucheria is in the algal class called Xanthophyte |
The differences in algal class ranking is most apparent visually in their reproductive motile cells |
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It is not a "green
alga"-- |
Little Known on Pacific
In the literature I don’t see much attention paid to this soil binding algae—Even most phycologists (people who study algae) pass over it without seeing it clearly. (I suspect there isn't an Xanthophyte specialist on this coast, as there is back East ).
While it looks green, this is not a Chlorophyte alga--- Here is a reference that shows its unique form of reproduction, unlike anything found among “the greens".
Naming Xanthophytes relies upon small differences in the reproductive structures—and Vaucheria is often sterile when found on mudflats, Here is a recipe from an Eastern US specialist for getting reproductive material. This would make a good school project and the results could lead to a publishable scientific paper). —
Where’s the Bird Feed?
While these turfs appear all the same to us I note the shore birds spend most there time hunting in these areas so there are probably small crustaceans or insects living on this lush green carpet too
Can you find any “bird feed” here?
Let me know
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