Plants & Invertebrates
AUSTRALASIAN Temperate Ocean
The algae, plants and invertebrates of Australasian temperate oceans and seas...
Kingdom Chromista
Class Phaeophyceae: Brown Algae
Order Dictyotales
Family Dictyotaceae
(Rottnest Island, W.A.)Dictyota dichotoma, 'Forked Ribbon'. Despite being a 'brown' algae, it often has a iridescent blue-greenish tinge. Wide distribution across temperate seas.
Order Laminariales: Kelps
Family Lessoniaceae
(Rottnest Island)Ecklonia radiata, 'Common/Spiny Kelp'. Can form dense underwater forests. Found from shallow waters down to 25 metres. Widespread in temperate waters of southern hemisphere.
Kingdom Plantae
Order Asimatales
Family Poisidoniaceae
(Rottnest Island)Posidonia sp. 'Strapweed'. A group of seagrass with a disjunct distribution; they are found in the Mediterranean and in southern Australian waters.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria: Corals and Sea Jellies
Order Antipatharia: Black Corals
(Milford Sound Underwater Observatory, New Zealand)Antipathella (previously Antipathes) fiordensis, 'Black Coral'.
Phylum Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Order Sabellida
(Milford Sound Underwater Observatory, New Zealand)Protula sp. 'Marine Polychaete Worm'
Phylum Echinodermata:
'Sea Stars', 'Sea Cucumbers' etc
Family Asteriidae
(Milford Sound Observatory, New Zealand)Coscinasterias calamaria, 'Eleven-armed Sea-star'. Found along southern Australia and New Zealand shores.
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