Green Spongeball Chain

Tydemania expeditionis is a species of green algae of the Udoteaceae family.

Description

Thallus is green, slightly calcified, forming thick clumps on sandy-rocky substrate in subtidal areas. Main branches are terete, with successive whorls of glomeruliferous branches along the entire length at intervals of about 1 cm. Each whorl is composed of 4 or 5 verticillately arranged lateral branchlets which are dichotomously branched repeatedly (6 to 7 times) in alternate planes, rarely trichotomously branched. Thallus is up to 10 cm in height.

Distribution

Indian Ocean: in Tanzania, Amirante Islands and Seychelles, east to India including Maldives and Chagos Archipelago; in Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Pacific Ocean: from China to the South China Sea, south to Queensland, Australia, including Spermonde Archipelago, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Lord Howe Island, east to American Samoa.

Habitat

Contains norcycloartene triterpenoids. Forms clumps in rocky crevices in moderately wave-exposed shallow subtidal areas.