"Seaweeds of Hawaii" by William H. Magruder and Jeffrey W. Hunt

This is a MOP - Maui CC project by Kim Roseman and Carl Stepath in 1999. This website is by permission of William Magruder for educational purposes and no reproductions are permitted. This permission is fully revokable at any time.

Hormothamnionen eromorphoides

H. enteromorphoides, usually bright green in color, is formed of delicate wispy filaments which cover patches of sand or grow tangled on other seaweeds. This seaweed is from 2 to 8 cm long and is found in tide pools and on reef flats.

Lyngbya majuscula

This filamentous seaweed is usually black or dark gray in Hawaii, but can be various shades of red, green, or even yellow. L. majuscula is usually 5 to 10 cm long and is commonly found tangled in other seaweeds on reef flats, in tide pools, or in deeper subtidal habitats. Strains of this seaweed cause a rash ("swimmers' itch") on the skin of susceptible individuals.

Symploca hydnoides

The claylike texture and unique structure of this seaweed are unmistakable. It grows from 1 to 4 cm high with many upright triangular shoots growing from a common holdfast. The coloration is also distinctive, black to dark gray on the outside and gray to brown on the inside. S. hydnoides is found on reef flats and in deeper subtidal habitats.