If you use a magnifying glass, you will see where this seaweed got its name. The branches have a banded color. You can even see this in the photo above. And each branch has a claw-like tip, sort of like horns. Banded weeds is found attached to rocks and other seaweeds anywhere between the high tide line or deeper. Many seaweeds are used by humans in various ways and banded weeds is no exception. Experiments are being done with an extract from banded weeds for curing influenza virusses.

 A small red seaweed growing up to 30 cm tall. It has a filamentous frond that is irregularly and dichotomously branched, with the branches narrowing towards pincer-like tips. The holdfast is a minute conical disc that extend into a dense mass of rhizoidal filaments. The plant is reddish-brown to purple in colour and has a banded appearance when viewed closely.Discrimination of separate species of Ceramium is often difficult. This species can be identified with certainty only by careful microscopic observation and in the field can be easily confused with other species of Ceramium with similar morphology namely Ceramium botryocarpum, Ceramium pallidum and Ceramium secundatum (F. Rindi, pers. comm.). The above taxonomy uses the recent nomenclature from Hardy & Guiry (2003). The confusion concerning Ceramium nodulosum and Ceramium rubrum was discussed by Maggs et al. (2002).

Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone

Type for Ceramium virgatum Roth
Catalog Number: US
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Preparation: Specimen/Lot
Collector(s): A. Griffiths
Year Collected: 1846
Locality: Torquay., Devon, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Lectotype fragment for Ceramium virgatum Roth
Catalog Number: US
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Preparation: Specimen/Lot
Collector(s): J. de Grateloup
Locality: Unknown

Type for Ceramium virgatum Roth
Catalog Number: US
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Preparation: Specimen/Lot
Collector(s): A. Griffiths
Year Collected: 1845
Locality: Torquay, Devon, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Type for Ceramium virgatum Roth
Catalog Number: US
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Preparation: Specimen/Lot
Collector(s): A. Griffiths
Year Collected: 1846
Locality: Torquay., Devon, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Lectotype fragment for Ceramium virgatum Roth
Catalog Number: US
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): J. de Grateloup
Locality: Unknown

Depth range based on 157 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 8 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 34.75
  Temperature range (°C): 11.471 - 12.348
  Nitrate (umol/L): 4.729 - 5.063
  Salinity (PPS): 35.203 - 35.363
  Oxygen (ml/l): 6.138 - 6.200
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.336 - 0.421
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.315 - 2.578

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 34.75

Temperature range (°C): 11.471 - 12.348

Nitrate (umol/L): 4.729 - 5.063

Salinity (PPS): 35.203 - 35.363

Oxygen (ml/l): 6.138 - 6.200

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.336 - 0.421

Silicate (umol/l): 2.315 - 2.578
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

 Ceramium virgatum is both epilithic and epiphytic, often growing on the stipes and fronds of Fucus spp., Mastocarpus stellatus and Laminaria hyperborea as well as on the leaves of Zostera marina in the subtidal. It is frequent on Codium fragile subsp. Tomentosoides in intertidal rockpools (F. Rindi, pers. comm.).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 164
Species With Barcodes: 1