Cutleria
Cutleria multifida (Turner) Greville, 1830
- Cutler's Many Cleft Weed - sexual Cutleria phase
Cutleria multifida (Turner) Greville, 1830
- Cutler's Many Cleft Weed - asexual Aglaozonia phase
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Desmarestiales (Order) > Desmarestiaceae (Family)
Desmarestia
Desmarestia aculeata (Linnaeus) J.V.Lamouroux, 1813
- Desmarest's Prickly Weed or Landladies' Wig
Desmarestia ligulata (Stackhouse) J.V.Lamouroux, 1813
- Desmarest's Flattened Weed
Desmarestia viridis (O.F.Müller) J.V.Lamouroux, 1813
- Desmarest's Green Weed
Desmarestia sp. - microscopic juvenile < 1.0mm
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Dictyotales (Order) > Dictyotaceae (Family) > Dictyoteae (Tribe)
Dictyota
Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) J.V.Lamouroux, 1809
- Forkweed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Dictyotales (Order) > Dictyotaceae (Family) > Zonarieae (Tribe)
Dictyopteris
Dictyopteris polypodioides (A.P.De Candolle) J.V.Lamouroux 1809
- Netted Wing Weed
Padina
Padina pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy, 1960
- Peacock's Tail
Taonia
Taonia atomaria (Woodward) J.Agardh, 1848
- Dotted Peacock Weed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Ectocarpales (Order) > Acinetosporaceae (Family)
Feldmannia
Feldmannia simplex (P.L.Crouan & H.M.Crouan) G.Hamel, 1939 ?
- A brown seaweed
Hincksia
Hincksia granulosa (Smith) P.C.Silva, 1987 ?
- A brown seaweed
Hincksia hincksiae (Harvey) P.C.Silva, 1987
- A brown seaweed
Pylaiella
Pylaiella littoralis (Linnaeus) Kjellman, 1872
- Sea Felt or Pylaie's Brown Filaments
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Ectocarpales (Order) > Chordariaceae (Family)
Asperococcus
Asperococcus bullosus J.V.Lamouroux, 1813
- Fat Sausage Weed
Asperococcus ensiformis (Delle Chiaje) M.J.Wynne, 2003
- A Sausage Weed
Asperococcus fistulosus (Hudson) W.J.Hooker, 1833
- Thin Sausage Weed
Chilionema
Chilionema hispanicum (Sauvageau) R.L.Fletcher, 1987
- A brown seaweed
Chilionema ocellatum (Kützing) Kornmann, 1953
- A brown seaweed
Chordaria
Chordaria flagelliformis (O.F.Müller) C.Agardh, 1817
- Slimy or Black Whip Weed
Elachista
Elachista flaccida (Dillwyn) Fries, 1835
- A Brown seaweed
Elachista fucicola (Velley) Areschoug, 1842
- Tiny Wrack Bush, an epithyte of Saw Wrack
Elachista scutulata (Smith) Areschoug, 1843 - A brown seaweed, and an epithyte of Thongweed
Eudesme
Eudesme virescens (Carmichael ex Berkeley) J.Agardh, 1882 - A brown seaweed
Leathesia
Leathesia marina (Lyngbye) Decaisne, 1842
- Sea Balls, Sea Cauliflower or Punctured Ball Weed
Litosiphon
Litosiphon laminariae (Lyngbye) Harvey, 1849
- A brown seaweed
Mesogloia
Mesogloia vermiculata (Smith) S.F.Gray, 1821
- Slimy Wormweed
Myriactula
Myriactula rivulariae (Suhr ex Areschoug) Feldmann, 1937
- An epiphyte of Sargassum muticum
Myriactula stellulata (Harvey) Levring, 1937
- An epiphyte of Dictyota dichotoma
Myrionema
Myrionema strangulans Greville, 1827 - A brown seaweed
Myriotrichia
Myriotrichia claviformis Harvey, 1834
- An epiphyte of Scytosiphon lomentaria
Myriotrichia sp. syn. Streblonema sp. ?
- An endophyte found in Palmaria palmata, Dulse
Striaria
Striaria attenuata (Greville) Greville, 1828 ?
- Striped Branched Weed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Ectocarpales (Order) > Ectocarpaceae (Family)
Ectocarpus
Ectocarpus fasciculatus Harvey, 1841 - A brown seaweed
Spongonema
Spongonema tomentosum (Hudson) Kützing, 1849
- Lamb's Tails
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Ectocarpales (Order) > Petrospongiaceae (Family)
Petrospongium
Petrospongium berkeleyi (Greville) Nägeli ex Kützing, 1858
- A brown seaweed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Fucales (Order) > Fucaceae (Family)
Ascophyllum
Ascophyllum nodosum (Linnaeus) Le Jolis, 1863
- Knotted Wrack or Egg Wrack
Ascophyllum nodosum ecad mackaii (Turner) S.M. Baker & M.H. Bohling
- Free-floating Knotted Wrack
Fucus
Fucus ceranoides Linnaeus, 1753 - Horned Wrack
Fucus guiryi G.I.Zardi, K.R.Nicastro, E.S.Serrão
& G.A.Pearson in Zardi et al. 2011
- Guiry's Wrack
Fucus serratus Linnaeus, 1753
- Serrated, Saw, Saw-edged or Toothed Wrack
Fucus spiralis Linnaeus, 1753
- Spiralled, Spiral or Twisted Wrack
Fucus vesiculosus Linnaeus, 1753
- Bladder Wrack or Black Tang
Fucus vesiculosus var. linearis (Hudson) Kützing, 1849
- Bladder Wrack or Black Tang
Pelvetia
Pelvetia canaliculata (Linnaeus) Decaisne & Thuret, 1845
- Channel or Channelled Wrack
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Fucales (Order) > Himanthaliaceae (Family)
Himanthalia
Himanthalia elongata (Linnaeus) S.F.Gray, 1821
- Thong Weed or Sea Thong
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Fucales (Order) > Sargassaceae (Family)
Bifurcaria
Bifurcaria bifurcata R.Ross, 1958
- Brown Tuning Fork Weed or Brown Forking Weed
Ericaria
Ericaria selaginoides (Linnaeus) Molinari & Guiry, 2020 syn. Carpodesmia tamariscifolia (Hudson) Orellana & Sansón 2019 and Cystoseira tamariscifolia (Hudson) Papenfuss, 1950 - Bushy Rainbow Wrack or Rainbow Bladder Weed
Halidrys
Halidrys siliquosa (Linnaeus) Lyngbye, 1819
- Sea Oak or Pod Weed
Sargassum
Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt, 1955
- Wireweed or Japweed (invasive non-native species)
Treptacantha
Treptacantha baccata (S.G.Gmelin) Orellana & Sansón 2019 syn. Cystoseira baccata (S.G.Gmelin) P.C.Silva, 1952 - Bushy Berry Wrack
Treptacantha nodicaulis (Withering) Orellana & Sansón 2019 syn. Cystoseira nodicaulis (Withering) M.Roberts, 1967
- Bushy Noduled Wrack
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Laminariales (Order) > Alariaceae (Family)
Alaria
Alaria esculenta (Linnaeus) Greville, 1830
- Dabberlocks, Badderlocks or Murlins
Undaria
Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar, 1873
- Wakame (invasive non-native invasive)
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Laminariales (Order) > Chordaceae (Family)
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Laminariales (Order) > Laminariaceae (Family)
Laminaria
Laminaria digitata (Hudson) J.V.Lamouroux, 1813
- Oar Weed or Tangle
Laminaria hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie, 1884
- Forest or Northern Kelp, Tangle or Cuvie
Laminaria ochroleuca Bachelot de la Pylaie, 1824
- Golden Kelp
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Scytosiphonales (Order) > Scytosiphonaceae (Family)
Colpomenia
Colpomenia peregrina Sauvageau, 1927 - Oyster Thief
(invasive non-native species)
Petalonia
Petalonia fascia (O.F.Müller) Kuntze, 1898
- Sea Petals or Broad Leaf Weed
Petalonia zosterifolia (Reinke) Kuntze, 1898 ?
- A brown seaweed
Scytosiphon
Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link, 1833
- Beanweed, Sausage Weed or Chipolata Weed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Sphacelariales (Order) > Cladostephaceae (Family)
Cladostephus
Cladostephus hirsutus (Linnaeus) C.-F.Boudouresque & M.Perret-Boudouresque, 1984 - Whorled Sand Weed
Cladostephus spongiosus (Hudson) C.Agardh, 1817 s.s.
- Hairy Sand Weed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Sphacelariales (Order) > Sphacelariaceae (Family)
Sphacelaria
Sphacelaria cirrosa (Roth) C.Agardh, 1824
- A Small Brown Feather Weed
Sphacelaria species - A Small Brown Feather Weed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Sphacelariales (Order) > Stypocaulaceae (Family)
Halopteris
Halopteris filicina (Grateloup) Kützing, 1843
- Sea Fern Weed
Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau, 1904
- Sea Flax Weed
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Tilopteridales (Order) > Phyllariaceae (Family)
Saccorhiza
Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightfoot) Batters, 1902
- Furbelows or Sea Furbelows
Phaeophyceae (Class) > Tilopteridales (Order) > Tilopteridaceae (Family)
Tilopteris
Tilopteris mertensii (Turner) Kützing, 1849
- A brown seaweed
Many thanks to Professor Michael Guiry for his help in identifying some of the seaweeds featured on this page.
Michael Guiry's Seaweed Website
Other people have also provided advice about the algae on this page and numerous reference books have been used.
These include -
Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland (Seasearch) by Francis Bunker, Christine Maggs, Juliet Brodie and Anne Bunker. Published by Wild Nature Press
Volumes of Seaweeds of the British Isles by the Natural History Museum
Seaweeds by W. Braune and M. D. Guiry