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coral rubble index
  Online Guide to Chek Jawa
coral rubble
 
Comb seaweed
Caulerpa taxifolia
Family Caulerpaceae
click for enlarged image
 
The Comb seaweed is common in the coral rubble area. It is often mistaken for seagrass. It appears to grow more thickly in the coral rubble area, but patches of it may also be found in the seagrass lagoon. It grows in calm, shallow waters and can tolerate some exposure at low tide. It is also found up to 30m deep.

There are two feathery seaweeds on Chek Jawa that are often mistaken for seagrass. The Feathery seaweed (Caulerpa sertularioides) is wider and often has a 'waist' at the tip; the Comb seaweed is narrower and has no 'waist'.

Human uses: Comb seaweed is reported to be edible, to have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and used to treat tuberculosis and high blood pressure. However, some Caulerpa species produce toxins to protect themselves from browsing fish. This also makes them toxic to humans.

Status and threats: This seaweed is native to the tropical waters of the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. A particular strain of this seaweed developed for the aquarium trade was accidentally introduced to the coasts of the Mediterranean, Australia and California. This strain is resistant to cooler temperate waters and is toxic to native herbivores such as fish, sea urchins and snails. So it grows unchecked and thick carpets of the seaweed smother native plants and deprive native animals of food. Efforts to eradicate it has not succeeded and this seaweed is now considered a noxious weed. 		   
quick facts
6-12cm long, common in the coral rubble area
 
See also ...
Seaweeds in general

Links
Alien Invaders: Algae Alert on the PBS website: a simple introduction to the issues and problems of introduced C. taxifolia
Caulerpa taxifolia on the University of Salzburg website: lots of details on the effect of introduced C. taxifolia on the Mediterranean Sea including links to more info on this issue.
Killer Algae: Ecological Disaster or Media Hysteria? by Thomas A. Frakes: another view of the C. taxifolia invasion.
Diagram of the life history of Caulerpa taxifolia on the Hawaiian Reef Algae page of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa website.

Other references
  • Trono, G. C. Jr., 1997. Field Guide and Atlas of the Seaweed Resources of the Philippines. Bookmark, Inc., the Philippines. 306 pp.
  • Calumpong, H. P. & Menez, E. G., 1997. Field Guide to the Common Mangroves, Seagrasses and Algae of the Philippines. Bookmark, Inc., the Philippines. 197 pp.
  • Tan, Leo W. H. & Ng, Peter K. L., 1988. A Guide to Seashore Life. The Singapore Science Centre, Singapore. 160 pp. online version
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