Green Algae of Zihuatanejo

FAMILY CAULERPACEAE

• Plants Kingdom (Plantae)

• Green Algae (Phylum Chlorophyta)

• Chlorophycean Green Algae (Class Chlorophyceae)

• Order Cladophorales

• Family Caulerpaceae

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Family Caulerpaceae is a family of marine green algae within the class Ulvophyceae and order Bryopsidales, best known for the genus Caulerpa. Members of this family are characterized by a unique siphonous thallus, meaning the entire plant-like body consists of a single giant multinucleate cell without cross walls. The thallus is highly differentiated into structures resembling roots (rhizoids), stems (stolons), and leaves (fronds), although these are not true plant organs. Species of Caulerpaceae are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas, where they grow on sandy bottoms, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and rocky substrates.