Chorda filum (Marine Algae of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Adjacent Islands)

Chorda filum

Description ⁷

Chorda filum is a brown seaweed with long cord-like fronds, only 5 mm thick in diameter. The fronds are hollow, slippery, unbranched and grow up to 8 m long. The species attaches to the substratum using a small discoid holdfast. It is an annual species, disappearing in winter.Other common names include mermaid's tresses and cat gut.

Taxon biology ⁸

Mermaid's tresses resembles extremely long, round, smooth brown shoe strings. Or locks of hair (tresses). It may seem like a strange name nowadays, but perhaps its name dates back to the days when people believed in mermaids! The base of this seaweed has a small holdfast with which it attaches itself to stones or shells. However, it doesn't always need to be attached to something solid in order to grow. Mermaid's tresses is fairly common in the Wadden Sea. It is less common in the delta region.

Habitat ⁹

Found in rock pools on the low shore and in the sublittoral down to 5 m. It is most commonly found in sheltered bays attached to stones and shells, often with the holdfast buried in sand.

Habitat ¹⁰

Depth range based on 145 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 20 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 25.6
  Temperature range (°C): 11.471 - 12.348
  Nitrate (umol/L): 4.729 - 7.121
  Salinity (PPS): 35.184 - 35.363
  Oxygen (ml/l): 6.069 - 6.200
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.336 - 0.439
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.315 - 3.285

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 25.6

Temperature range (°C): 11.471 - 12.348

Nitrate (umol/L): 4.729 - 7.121

Salinity (PPS): 35.184 - 35.363

Oxygen (ml/l): 6.069 - 6.200

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.336 - 0.439

Silicate (umol/l): 2.315 - 3.285

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