What are the features of red algae?

Red algae are common to tropical and subtropical environments. Most species are slender in appearance, but connect and branch to one another to form sprawling shrub-like bodies. Depending on species, red algae can contain feathered, branched, flat or filamentous cells. The majority of red algae species secrete calcium carbonate and play a vital role in constructing coral reefs. read more

Pit connections and pit plugs are unique and distinctive features of red algae that form during the process of cytokinesis following mitosis. In red algae, cytokinesis is incomplete. Typically, a small pore is left in the middle of the newly formed partition. read more

Some red algae are economically important as providers of food and gels. For this reason, extensive farming and natural harvest of red algae occurs in numerous areas of the world. Figure 1. Seaweed farmers tending a Kappaphycus line culture in the Philippines. read more