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Sweet-smelling seaweed

Distribution : Mediterranean

Netted wing weed is often recognised by its rib before its colour. The central ridge persists when margins narrow. The alga can therefore change outline without disappearing from the rock.

Habitat of Sweet-smelling seaweed Habitat
Rocky habitat
Depth range of Sweet-smelling seaweed Depth
0-40 m
Biological group of Sweet-smelling seaweed Group
Ecological role of Sweet-smelling seaweed Role
Primary producer

📏 Size

Up to 30 cm long; blades 2–10 mm wide

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The sweet-smelling seaweed has flat branching brown to greenish-brown ribbons. The central rib extends from base to tips, bordered by thin, sometimes translucent or torn margins.

The thallus, the algal body, attaches through a fibrous disc. Near the base and on older parts, the rib can dominate as surrounding membrane diminishes.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

It inhabits French Mediterranean rocky seabeds, notably dim sectors, mixing with other brown and red algae in layered communities.

The base can persist while upright growth varies seasonally. Surface photographs and fixed landmarks explain change better than two isolated pieces without context.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Photosynthesis uses light to produce organic matter from available carbon. Brown pigments do not replace all chlorophyll: they contribute alongside it to capturing energy.

Mineral nutrients are absorbed from water. The rib is not a vascular network equivalent to a land leaf’s, despite similar vocabulary and appearance.

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Sweet-smelling seaweed

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