The order Codiales also includes the green algae Bryopsis, Derbesia, and Ostreobium. Of these, the most common relatives found in the Monterey Bay area are different species within the genus Bryopsis. For more information on Bryopsis, please visit Julia Chu's site prepared for the 2003 Marine Botany course.
Other Codium Species:
Along the Monterey Peninsula, the only congener of C. setchellii commonly observed is Codium fragile, commonly known as the dead man's fingers. C. fragile is an erect, branching form that is very different from C. setchellii in appearance. Both of the local Monterey Bay Codium species are similar in texture, being rather spongy. At the cellular level, both C. setchellii and C. fragile have a siphonous construction, meaning they are essentially comprised of a single "tubular" cell wrapped over itself many times over.
For more information on Codium fragile, please visit this site by Kathy Tyson, prepared for the 1996 Marine Botany course.
There are other species of Codium in other areas of the globe. Some forms are erect, others branching. According to AlgaeBase, there are currently 107 valid species of Codium worldwide. In the waters off the west coast of North America, various other species of Codium can be found in the warmer waters of southern California and Baja California (Mexico), including C. cuneatum S. & G., C. hubbsii Daws, and C. johnstonei Silva (Abbott & Hollenberg 1976).
Historical Taxonomy and Synonyms:
Codium setchellii was first described and named in the scientific literature by Gardner (1919). The type locality for the original description was Pacific Grove, CA, USA. The current scientific classification of Codium setchellii is synonymous with various other names that have now been replaced by C. setchellii. Historical syonyms for C. setchellii include C. adhaerens. According to Guiry (2004), C. adhaerens var. incrassatum Dellow 1952 and C. dimorphum Svedelius 1900 are synonyms for C. setchellii.
Choose one of the following links to learn more about Codium setchellii:
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2005 Raúl Nava. Text and images freely available for personal,
educational use (please credit).