Bonnemaisonia
hamifera
Taxon
Bonnemaisonia hamifera Hariot 1891
Family / Order / Class / Phylum
Bonnemaisoniaceae / Bonnemaisoniales /
Florideophyceae / Rhodophyta
COMMON NAMES (English only)
SYNONYMS
Trailliella intricata Batters 1896
Asparagopsis hamifera (Hariot) Okamura 1921
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This red macroalgae occurs in marine waters.
BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY
Dispersal mechanisms
Gametophytes disperse with water currents, adult
plants with drift, clinging to floating objects.
Reproduction
Its life-history involves an alternation between
gametophytes and tetrasporophytes.
Gametophytes occur in spring and are up to 350
mm in length. The tetrasporophyte was earlier
considered as a separate species (= Trailliella
intricata) and occurs year-round, but are most
common in October-March. Asexual
reproduction occurs with stem fragmentation.
Known predators/herbivores
The red-alga is grazed upon by invertebrates, e.g.
sea urchins.
Resistant stages (seeds, spores etc.)
Unknown.
Bonnemaisonia hamifera specimen from Ulster
Museum.
Photo: Prof. Michael Guiry
HABITAT
Native (EUNIS code)
A3: Sublittoral rock and other hard substrata. Adults are exclusively epiphytic. The "Trailiella" form is
occasionally found on hard substrates including man-made structures.
Habitat occupied in invaded range (EUNIS code)
A3: Sublittoral rock and other hard substrata. Adults are exclusively epiphytic. The "Trailiella" form is
occasionally found on hard substrates including man-made structures up to ca. 8 m water depth.
Habitat requirements
Tetrasporophytes and gametophytes from Ireland survived and grew from -1 to 29 °C. The maximum growth of
tetrasporophytes was between 15 and 25 °C. Gametophytes showed optimum growth at 15 °C. For gametophyte
production the tetrasporangia require short daylengths and water temperatures above 11 °C. The production of
male plants occurs at lower temperatures compared to temperatures at which females develop. In its native range
the reproductive cycle is synchronized with water temperatures permitting timely overlap of the sexes. The
conditions for production of biomass in the Trailliella phase are within 15 – 20 °C, 20 – 30 µmol photons m-2 s-1
and long day-lengths (16:8 h) (L:D). Tolerates salinities of 11 to 35 ppt.
DISTRIBUTION
Native Range
NW Pacific (Japan).
Known Introduced Range
In the British Isles it was first found in Falmouth, Cornwall, and Studland, Dorset, although in 1893 the
tetrasporangial phase "Trailliella" was collected in Dorset in 1890. In Europe it is found from Norway to the
Canary Islands, Ireland, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea (Kattegat and Belt Sea) and Iceland.
Trend
Stable.
MAP (European distribution)
Known in country
Legend
Known in CGRS square
Known in sea
INTRODUCTION PATHWAY
It is assumed that the alga was introduced unintentionally with shellfish or in the hull fouling of vessels. Secondary
spread occurs by drift with water currents or attachment to floating objects (hooks enable entanglement).
IMPACT
Ecosystem Impact
It may become the dominant alga in certain regions competing with other algae and seagrasses. In southern
Norway, along the Danish North Sea, the Kattegat coasts of Denmark and Sweden, Helgoland (Germany) and
United Kingdom the algae is abundant in some sites, and in certain regions of Norway it is the most commonly
found red-algae.
Health and Social Impact
Unknown.
Economic Impact
Unknown.
MANAGEMENT
Prevention
Unknown.
Mechanical
Unknown.
Chemical
Unknown.
Biological
Unknown.
REFERENCES
Farnham WF (1980) Studies on aliens in the marine flora of southern England. In: Price JH, Irvine DEG, Farnham
WF (eds) The shore environment, vol 2: ecosystems. London, Academic Press. (Systematics Association Special
Volume, No. 17B.), pp 875-914
South GR, Tittley I (1986) A checklist and distributional index of the benthic marine algae of the North Atlantic
Ocean. St. Andrews & London, Huntsman Marine Laboratory & British Museum (Natural History) p 213
Wallentinus I (2006) Alien Species Alert: on Undaria pinnatifida (Wakame or Japanese kelp). Annex 9. In: Report
of the Working Group of Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms, Oostend, Belgium, 16-17 March
2006. ICES CM 2006/ACME:05, pp 292-327 [available at www.ices.dk]
OTHER REFERENCES
Bartsch I, Kuhlenkamp R (2000) The marine macroalgae of Helgoland (North Sea): an annotated list of records
between 1845 and 1999. Helgoland Marine Research 54:160-189
Breeman AM, Guiry MD (1989) Tidal influences on the photoperiodic induction of tetrasporogenesis in
Bonnemaisonia hamifera (Rhodophyta). Marine Biology 102:5-14
Cormaci M, Furnari G, Giaccone G, Serio D (2004) Alien macrophytes in the Mediterranean Sea: a review. Recent
Research Developments in Environmental Biology 1:153-202
Guiry MD (1997) Benthic red, brown and green algae. In: Howson CM, Picton BE (eds) The Species Directory of
the Marine Fauna and Flora of the British Isles and Surrounding Seas. Belfast & Ross-on-Wye, Ulster Museum
& Marine Conservation Society, pp 341-367
Harder R, Koch W (1949) Life-history of Bonnemaisonia hamifera (Traillella intricata), Nature 163:106
Hardy FG, Guiry MD (2003) A Check-list and Atlas of the Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland. London: British
Phycological Society, pp 435
Holmes EM (1897) Note on Bonnemaisonia hamifera. Journal of Botany, London, 35:408-409
Irvine DEG (1982) Seaweeds of the Faroes. 1: the flora. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Botany
Series 10:109-131
Nash R, Rindi F, Guiry MD (2005) Optimum conditions for cultivation of the Trailliella phase of Bonnemaisonia
hamifera Hariot (Bonnemaisoniales, Rhodophyta), a candidate species for secondary metabolite production.
Botanica Marina 48:257-265
Paavola M, Olenin S, Leppäkoski E (2005) Are invasive species most successful in habitats of low native species
richness across European brackish water seas? Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 64:738-750
Verlaque M (1996) L'Étang de Thau (France), un site majeur d’introduction d’espèces en Mediterranée – Relations
avec l’ostreiculture. In: Ribera MA, Ballesteros E, Boudouresque CF, Gómez A, Gravez V (eds) Second
International Workshop on Caulerpa taxifolia, Barcelona Spain, 15-17 December 1994. Publ. Univ. Barcelona,
pp 423-430
Westbrook MA (1930) Notes on the distribution of certain marine red algae. Journal of Botany, London, 68:257-264
Yoshida T (1998) Marine algae of Japan. Tokyo, Uchida Rokakuho Publishing, pp 25 + 1222
Author: Stephan Gollasch
Date Last modified: October 30th, 2006