Skip to Content

Calliblepharis ciliata (Hudson) Kützing

Description: Flattened, subcartilaginous, purple-red fronds, to 300 mm long and 20-70 mm wide, lanceolate or forked, irregularly pinnate; when mature (in summer), the margins and the surface are covered with short, stiff proliferations (above). Short cylindrical stipe arises from creeping, branched holdfast.
Habitat: Larger lower intertidal pools and subtidal (0-25 m) on stones, maerl and shells, widely distributed, common in south and west, sometimes frequent in drift; occasionally abundant on bedrock below the lower limit of kelp.
Similar species: Calliblepharis jubata is narrower (to 10 mm broad); its marginal outgrowths are long, branched and entangled, and it is mainly found in pools and in rock in the lower intertidal.
Notes: Genus name from Greek, kallos (beauty) & blepharis (eyelash).

Species list

Photographs © M.D. Guiry

Fucus vesiculosus
  • Bio AtlantisBioAtlantis provides sustainable technologies from the sea to enhance plant, animal and human health.
  • Connemara Organic Seaweed CompanyConnemara Organic Seaweed Company provide hand harvested, sustainable, kelp and seaweed products for human consumption through health supplements and edible products.
  • Emerald Isle Organic Irish SeaweedEmerald Isle Organic Irish Seaweed. A family business producing seaweed as supplements, cooking, gardening and bath products.
  • Irish Seaweeds LtdIrish Seaweeds Ltd are suppliers of 100% natural hand-harvested seaweeds and edible sea vegetable products from Ireland.