Lobophora is a type of brown seaweed that belongs to the Phylum Ochrophyta and Class Phaeophyceae.
It’s a thalloid seaweed, which means it has a flat body shape without roots, stems, or leaves.
Lobophora can be found in many parts of the world, including tropical and temperate regions.
How Is Lobophora Classified?
Lobophora is a genus, which is a group of related species. It belongs to the Order Dictyotales, Family Dictyotaceae, and Tribe Zonarieae.
There are 71 different species of Lobophora, and each one has its own unique name.
What Does Lobophora Look Like?
The body of a Lobophora, called the thallus, can have different shapes and growth patterns, such as:
- Decumbent: lying flat on the ground.
- Procumbent: growing along the ground.
- Crustose: forming a thin, flat crust on a surface.
- Conk-like: shaped like a shelf or bracket.
- Fasciculate: growing in clusters or bundles.
- Stipitate: having a stalk or stem-like structure.
Thalli can be up to 20 cm long and are usually light brown to dark brown in color.
They grow from a holdfast, which is a structure that attaches the seaweed to rocks or other surfaces.
What Is the Internal Structure of Lobophora Like?
Lobophora thalli are 7 to 12 cells thick. The outer layers are made of small cortical cells, while the inner layers are made of larger medullary cells.
The medullary cells are usually uniform in size, except for the even larger central cells.
Discoid chloroplasts, which help with photosynthesis, are found in the cortical layers.
How Does Lobophora Reproduce?
Lobophora has special structures called sporangial sori, which produce spores. These sori can be scattered or form concentric bands on the thallus surface.
They are covered by a protective layer called an indusium but do not have any other structures called paraphyses.
The sporangia produce up to eight spores and don’t have a stalk cell at the base.
Oogonia, which are female reproductive structures, can be found in sori on both sides of the frond surfaces.
The life history of Lobophora is not well known, but it might have similar stages to other seaweeds in the Dictyotaceae family.
Where Does Lobophora Live?
Lobophora is found in many parts of the world, including tropical and temperate regions.
It usually grows on solid surfaces, such as rocks, in intertidal and subtidal areas of rocky-reef habitats.
Some species can live in areas with lots of waves and water movement.
How Does Lobophora Interact with Other Organisms?
Under normal conditions, Lobophora and corals can co-exist in the same ecosystem.
This is because coral chemical defenses and herbivores, such as fish, help control the growth of Lobophora populations.
However, when these factors become unbalanced, Lobophora can take over reef habitats and prevent corals from settling on the substrate.
Some species of Lobophora have different growth patterns, interactions, and habitat preferences, so it’s important to understand and identify each species.
How Do Herbivores Affect Lobophora?
Herbivores, such as fish, like to eat Lobophora. To avoid being eaten, some Lobophora species have developed growth patterns that make them less tasty to herbivores.
For example, crustose Lobophora species, like L. variegata, are more common in areas with lots of herbivorous fish and sea urchins compared to other seaweeds with foliose or decumbent growth patterns.
What Natural Products Are Found in Lobophora?
Lobophora contains many natural products, such as:
| Minerals | Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Mercury (Hg), Iodine (I), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn) |
|---|---|
| Pigments | Carotene, Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll c, Fucoxanthin |
| Polysaccharides/Simple sugars | Alginic acid, Laminarin |
| Sugar alcohol | Mannitol |
These natural products can have various uses, such as in medicine.
For example, sulfated polysaccharides called fucans from Lobophora variegata have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Some Lobophora species also have antiprotozoal activity against parasitic protozoans, such as Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, and Trichomonas vaginalis.
You can check out what this plant looks like over here.
Lobophora Characteristics
| Care Level: | Moderate |
| Growth Rate: | Moderate |
| Nutrient Uptake: | Good |
| Required Lighting: | Low Moderate |
| Required Water Flow: | Low Moderate |
| Is Palatable? | Somewhat |
| Maximum Size: | 10 in (25.4 cm) |
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Chromista |
| Order: | Dictyotales |
| Family: | Dictyotaceae |
| Genus: | Lobophora |
| Scientific Name: | Lobophora |
| Also Known As: | Encrusting Fan-leaf Algae |
| Conservation Status: | Unknown |