Al Kordesch, no rights reserved (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons

Bossiella spp.

bossiella coral algae

Northeastern Pacific (Alaska to Mexico)

Native to North America

Overview

Bossiella spp. is a genus of articulated coralline red algae in the family Corallinaceae, growing on rock and other seaweeds along the cool coasts of the northeastern Pacific. Like other jointed corallines, it has upright, calcified fronds built from flat, hard segments linked by flexible uncalcified joints that let the plant bend in waves. In Bossiella spp. the segments are typically flattened and winged, often wedge- or fan-shaped, giving the fronds a neat, jointed, ladder-like look, 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) tall and pink to purple-red. The fronds grow from an encrusting base attached to rock or to larger seaweeds, and reproductive structures form in raised swellings called conceptacles along the segment surfaces and margins. Bossiella spp. is common in tide pools and on wave-washed rock from the low intertidal into the subtidal zone, where it adds to the pink coralline turf that shelters small marine animals. The calcite skeleton makes the fronds stiff and chalky and, like other calcified algae, vulnerable to ocean acidification. The flattened, winged segments separate Bossiella spp. from the more cylindrical segments of Corallina spp., though microscopic study confirms the genus and species.

Native Range

Bossiella spp. grows along the cool coasts of the northeastern Pacific, from Alaska to California and Mexico, on rock and on larger seaweeds in tide pools and on wave-washed shores from the low intertidal into the subtidal zone.

Suggested Uses

Bossiella spp. adds to the pink coralline turf that shelters small marine animals and is studied as an indicator of cool-water shore conditions and ocean acidification. It is kept in cold-water reef aquaria as part of the coralline community. The calcified fronds are of interest in research on biomineralisation.

How to Identify

Identify by the upright, pink to purple-red, jointed coralline fronds built from flat, hard, often winged or wedge-shaped calcified segments linked by flexible joints, growing from an encrusting base on rock or seaweed. The flattened, winged segments separate Bossiella spp. from the more cylindrical Corallina spp.; microscopic study confirms species.

Appearance

Colors

Foliage Colors

pink

red

Bloom Information

Bossiella spp. does not flower. It reproduces by spores and gametes formed in raised swellings called conceptacles along the segment surfaces and margins, following the three-phase life cycle of red algae. Reproduction continues through the year, with peaks in the cooler, productive months.

Growing Conditions

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Bossiella spp. grows only in clean, cold to cool marine seawater on rock and seaweed from the low intertidal into the subtidal zone, tolerating strong light and wave action. It cannot survive fresh water or long exposure out of water once detached. In cold-water reef aquaria, articulated corallines establish under strong light with stable calcium and alkalinity and good flow. Like other calcified algae, it is weakened by ocean acidification and low-carbonate water.