Stypopodium Zonale is a type of brown alga. It belongs to the Dictyotaceae family.
You can find it in the warm, shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea and other tropical seas around the world.
How Does Stypopodium Zonale Look?
Color and Size
This seaweed has a golden brown or olive color. It can grow up to 40 centimeters (16 in) long.
Shape and Texture
It has smooth, broad blades with squared-off ends that grow in a fan shape. The blades split into segments that are 1 to 5 centimeters (0.39 to 1.97 in) wide.
The bigger the plant, the more it splits.
Unique Features
Stypopodium Zonale has bands of different colors that grow parallel to the edge of the blade.
An iridescent green band appears every few centimeters, giving this seaweed a beautiful zoned look.
Where Does Stypopodium Zonale Live?
Stypopodium Zonale grows in shallow parts of the sea near the coasts of:
- Africa
- Canary Islands
- Madeira
- Florida
- Bermuda
- The Bahamas
- Caribbean Islands
- South America
- Galápagos Islands
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- Singapore
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- New Zealand
- Queensland
In the Caribbean Sea, it grows down to 55 meters (180 ft) deep.
Around Bermuda, it’s the main benthic alga found at depths of 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 ft).
What Makes Stypopodium Zonale Special?
Defensive Properties
Stypopodium Zonale has a special way of protecting itself.
It makes secondary metabolites, like unique cyclic terpenes, that stop animals from eating it.
Research Discoveries
Scientists have found some interesting things about Stypopodium Zonale:
- It has mild antibacterial properties.
- It’s toxic to fish, so they won’t eat it.
- One of its metabolites, called stypoldione, stops cell division in sea urchin eggs.
- Another metabolite fights human lung and colon cancer cells.
In a study, researchers found that some metabolites are present in all Stypopodium Zonale plants, while others are only found in certain areas.
This discovery may lead to more research and potential uses for this unique brown alga.
You can check out what this plant looks like over here.
Stypopodium zonale Characteristics
| Care Level: | Moderate |
| Required Lighting: | Moderate |
| Maximum Size: | 8 in (20.3 cm) |
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Chromista |
| Order: | Dictyotales |
| Family: | Dictyotaceae |
| Genus: | Stypopodium |
| Scientific Name: | Stypopodium zonale |
| Also Known As: | Leafy flat-blade Algae |
| Conservation Status: | Unknown |