Melobesia membranacea is a small marine alga encrusting on the surface of other algae. In the division of the Rhodophyta.
Description This small marine algae grows lightly encrusting as a thin epiphyte on other algae growing to 5 cm in diameter and c 90 micrometre thick. Conceptacles small but raised and visible.Irvine, L. and Chamberlain, Y.M. 1994. Seaweeds of the British Isles. Volume 1 Rhodophyta Part 2B Corallinales, Hildenbrandiales The Natural History Museum, London.
Reproduction Carposporangial and tetrasporangial conceptacles are common.
Habitat Very common growing epiphytically on other algae in the littoral and sublittoral on Furcellaria, Mastocarpus stellatus, Chondrus and other algae, in the low littoral and sub-littoral.
Distribution Common all around the British Isles, including the Isle of Man and the Shetland Islands.Hardy, F.G. and Guiry, M.D. 2003. A Check-list and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. British Phycological Society Holland to Cape Verde, Mediterranean, Canada, East Coast of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
References