Kappaphycus alvarezii (Solieriaceae)

Kappaphycus alvarezii is a tough, fleshy, firm marine algae ("seaweed") up to 6 feet in length. Its coarse thalli (plural of thallus, a plant body that is not differentiated into root, stem or leaf) are approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. The thalli are heavy, with major axes relatively straight, lacking secondary branches near the tips. It is frequently and irregularly branched, most branches primary. Shiny green to yellow orange, it has a variable form, from a few small branches in shallow water to tangled and gnarled in deeper water, and it may be loosely attached to broken coral or floating, sometimes in large, moving mats. It typically occurs in waters 3 to 50 feet deep. Kappaphycus species are among the largest tropical red algae, with a high growth rate (can double in biomass in 15 to 30 days). It was thought until recently that their only method of dispersal was by vegetative fragmentation, which was thought to limit their expansion. Reproductive Kappaphycus has recently been found in Kaneohe Bay (Oahu). Kappaphycus species are among the largest tropical red algae, with a high growth rate (can double in biomass in 15 to 30 days). It was thought until recently that their only method of dispersal was by vegetative fragmentation, which was thought to limit their expansion. Reproductive Kappaphycus has recently been found in Kaneohe Bay (Oahu). 

Species description or overview

Kappaphycus alvarezii: an invasive marine alga in Hawaii
Kappaphycus alvarezii: an invasive marine alga in Hawaii

Taxonomy & nomenclature

Kappaphycus alvarezii information from ITIS
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System ITIS provides authoritative taxonomic information on Kappaphycus alvarezii, as well as other plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

IPNI nomenclature info for Kappaphycus alvarezii
Nomenclatural information about Kappaphycus alvarezii is provided by The International Plant Names Index (IPNI).

Impacts

Kappaphycus alvarezii: an invasive marine alga in Hawaii
Kappaphycus alvarezii: an invasive marine alga in Hawaii

Kappaphycus alvarezii (Solieriaceae): species information from GCW
Information on Kappaphycus alvarezii as relevant to Pacific Islands is provided by the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Bioinvasion of Kappaphycus alvarezii on corals in the Gulf of Mannar, India
Kappaphycus alvarezii is smothering coral in South India (Current Science, 2008, abstract).

Indian coral islands under threat from algae
Kappaphycus alvarezii imported by Pepsi Co. for the production of carrageen has become invasive and is killing coral in South India (Nature, 2008, abstract).

Abundance and spread of the invasive red algae, Kappaphycus spp., in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and an experimental assessment of management options
Rapid spread of red algae is killing coral in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, and threatens reefs throughout Hawaii (Biological Invasions, 2005).

Control methods

Images

Kappaphycus alvarezii information from the Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Information about Kappaphycus alvarezii in Hawaii is available from the Smithsonian Flora of the Hawaiian Islands.

Marine algae of Hawaii: red algae
Alien algae and corresponding competing native species are shown on this site from the University of Hawaii Botany Department.

Distribution

Books

In the news

Some documents posted on the HEAR website are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If your computer is not already set up to read these files, you can download the FREE Adobe Acrobat reader. You can set up most web browsers to automatically invoke this reader (as a "helper application" or "add-in") upon encountering documents of this type (refer to your browser's documentation for how to do this).

The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project was historically funded by the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) through PIERC (USGS) with support from HCSU (UH Hilo). More details are available online.

The content of this page is based on information last generated on 16 October 2017 by PT. The template for this page was created on 15 March 2004 by EMS, and was last updated on 20 February 2006 by PT.