Peacock alga
Padina sanctae-crucis
Børgesen, 1914
Description:
This alga forms curled, fanlike branches from a single stalk. The plant is about 15 cm tall. Blades are often irregularly split and branched. The upper surfaces of the fans are calcified and whitened, but the rest of the plant is brownish. All the branches are crossed by closely set growth lines.
Habitat:
Attach to rocky substrates in most marine environments, especially shallow reef flats.
Distribution:
South Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean.