DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Mediterranean Underwater Biodiversity Project

 

1/A – Mermaid's wine glass -  Acetabularia acetabulum

A green, photophilic alga with a characteristic parasol shape. Formed by a single giant cell, it has its nucleus in the base of the stem, while the tip has a spoked disc, which is the reproducing organ. After releasing its spores, the alga is reduced to only a stem during the winter, but it reforms the parasol the following spring. It lives in rocky environments at low depths.