Penicillus dumetosus (shaving brush alga) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 2 (15425530174)
Penicillus dumetosus (Lamouroux, 1816) - shaving brush alga on shallow, aragonitic sandy seafloor. (photo taken by Mark Peter)
Penicillus is a calcareous green alga - the "brush" contains densely packed bristles having tiny particles of aragonite (CaCO3 - calcium carbonate). After the alga dies and the soft parts decay away, the aragonitic portions become clay- & silt-sized seafloor sediments. A significant percentage of shallow seafloor and shoreline sediments in the Bahamas is from calcareous algae. Many carbonate petrologists suggest that ancient fine-grained limestones (micritic limestones; micrites) are diagenetically altered deposits of calcareous green algae similar to or analogous to Penicillus.
The wide blades are Thalassia testudinum turtle grass. The slender stalks are Syringodium filiforme manatee grass.
Classification: Chlorophyta, Caulerpales, Udoteaceae
Locality: shallow seafloor just west of North Point Peninsula, southeastern Graham's Harbour, northeastern San Salvador Island, eastern BahamasRelevante Bilder
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Penicillus (Alge)Penicillus ist eine Gattung von Grünalgen aus der Klasse der Chlorophyceae. Sie gehören mit anderen Organismen zur wichtigen Gruppe der Kalkalgen, die durch die Produktion von Karbonaten zur Bildung kalkhaltiger biogener Sedimente beitragen. .. weiterlesen