Overview
Seaweeds are algae big enough to see with the naked eye. They are extremely diverse, and comprise multiple unrelated lineages. The three principal groups can be recognised by the colour of their light-harvesting pigments: red, green, and brown.
There are some 900 species of seaweed in New Zealand. The discovery and classification of New Zealand’s seaweeds is ongoing. An example is the finding by NIWA’s Wendy Nelson and Te Papa’s Jennifer Dalen that the species known as Curdiea flabellata was incorrectly classified. They renamed it Curdiea furcata.
Curdiea belongs to a group of red algae known for making agar. Agar is a polysaccharide used widely in the food industry and medicine – from texturing ice creams to a medium in which to grow bacteria for study.
There are four species of Curdiea in New Zealand, and they occur around most of our coastline. However, three of the species are northern, whereas Curdiea furcata occurs from the southern North Island to New Zealand’s subantarctic islands.
Te Papa’s specimens of Curdiea in Collections Online.
Te Papa’s list of New Zealand marine macroalage.
Reference:
Nelson WA, Dalen J (2014) Taxonomic notes on the New Zealand macroalgal flora: synonymic checklist of the red algal order Gracilariales with selection of lectotypes and description of a new species. New Zealand Journal of Botany 52: 236-244. Online abstract.