About Pterocladia lucida (R.Brown ex Turner) J.Agardh
Pterocladia lucida (R.Brown ex Turner) J.Agardh has a main axis that is flattened, and its branch tips are often pale. Its thallus ranges in colour from red-brown to dark red, and can grow up to 40 centimetres long. Branching pattern and thallus width vary greatly between individual plants, but this variation is most likely caused by environmental conditions rather than representing differences between separate species. When dried, Pterocladia lucida becomes crisp; similar species often become soft or disintegrate when dried instead. In New Zealand, P. lucida occurs from Northland to Kaikōura, as well as around Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands and Rēkohu / Chatham Islands. In Australia, it is found from Perth to New South Wales and Tasmania. It commonly grows on low-tide rocks along exposed, rough-water coasts, and can grow to a depth of about 7m (23 ft). It attaches firmly to hard rocks, and often hosts large amounts of epiphytic red algae, including Aristoptilon mooreanum.
