Little Neptune GrassProtected

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Slender seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) has long, narrow, flexible leaves like pale green ribbons. Its leaves are narrower than those of Neptune grass, giving the two plants a different appearance. The tufts sway as the water moves.

The rhizomes, creeping stems linking these tufts, are thin and marked with regularly spaced rings.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

It is mainly found in shallow coastal areas on well-lit sandy or sandy-muddy seabeds. It forms meadows from the surface to a few tens of metres deep, depending on water clarity.

It tolerates sometimes rough environments and readily colonises areas where the sand shifts.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Slender seagrass makes its own food through photosynthesis. In its leaves, light enables it to turn water and dissolved carbon dioxide into sugars needed for growth. Its roots also take up minerals from the sand. Like other flowering plants, it does not catch prey: it produces the organic matter it needs from substances in its surroundings.