Melobesia membranacea (Esper) Lamouroux

Description: Thallus encrusting, flat and firmly attached, up to 5 cm in diameter. Large raised conceptacles with dark centre.

Habitat: Very common. Epiphytic often on Furcellaria and Laminaria but also other species. Mid-littoral and sub-littoral to over 40 m depth.

Distribution: Very common around the British Isles. Europe: Mediterranean, Portugal, Atlantic coasts of Spain and France, Baltic Sea and Norway. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Virginia and Florida. Further afield: West Indies, Canary Islands, Senegal and Cape Verde Isles, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Similar Species: Hildenbrandia is much finer, epilithic and does not have large raised conceptacles.

Key Identification Features:

• Large raised conceptacles, epiphytic.

Distribution Map from BioMar data for Ireland - Google Earth map:  download this placemark (not got Google Earth installed?)

Distribution Map from NBN: JNCC MNCR Seasearch data - Grid map : Interactive map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.