Sea Grapes

Caulerpa lentilifera

Habitat & Distribution : Indo-Pasific Ocean

Diet : Photosynthesis and sediment nutrients

Size:  Up to 30cm

Lifespan: 1-2 Months

Description

Sea grapes are a type of *Ulvophyta* seaweed, meaning each individual strand consists of a single giant, multinucleate cell. Unlike many other seaweeds, their 'leaf' structures are not flat sheets but rather small, grape-like bubbles. If a bubble bursts, the internal cell fluid does not leak out, and the plant is able to regenerate it. These bubbles are connected to stolons (runners) and possess rhizoids—root-like structures—for attachment and nutrient absorption. They are commonly found in shallow waters within intertidal zones.

Reproduction

asexual, through rhizoid (root) extension and fragmentation