Beachcombers Field Guide - Department Of Fisheries Western ...

Funnel weed or peacock’s tail is
found along the Western Australian
coastline, usually in sheltered or semiexposed
locations, in intertidal rock pools
and subtidal areas. The fan-shaped fronds
create a funnel shape, giving this alga its
name. As mature plants, the fronds often
divide forming a cluster of branches growing
to about 15 cm high. Funnel weed is the only
brown alga in Australia that accumulates
a thin chalky coating on one surface,
known as calcifi cation. This process
is more common in green and
red algae.
Funnel weed