Algae · Brown algae · Marine Life · South Africa

Lightning seaweed (Oerstedtia scalaris)

Specimen of 'lightning seaweed' on the rocky shores at low tide. Unknown location, South Africa (2021). Plants dark brown to yellowish-brown, with tough rather than rubbery texture, comprising a prominent, woody, conical holdfast bearing one or more main axes that, in turn, bear primary lateral branches with distichous, alternating arrangement of leaves - rarely, second… Continue reading Lightning seaweed (Oerstedtia scalaris)

Cephalopods · Marine Life · South Africa

Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

Common octopus hiding in a rock pool. Unknown location on the South African coastline (2021). All Octopus species have eight arms, each with two rows of suckers, and lack an external shell. The species are distinguished by the tip of the male's right third arm (the hectocotylus arm), which is suckerless and transmits sperm to… Continue reading Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

Algae · Brown algae · Marine Life

Different-leafed sargassum (Sargassum incisifolium)

Specimen of sargassum found in a rock crevice. Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Bushy yellow-brown plants with a triangular stem, small air-floats and two types of blades, attached to the substrate by a large conical holdfast that bears one or several strong perennial stems. The lower 'leaves' are oval and marginally toothed, while… Continue reading Different-leafed sargassum (Sargassum incisifolium)