Gracilaria vermiculophylla

Thallus solitary or aggregate, caespitose, cartilaginous, 25-50(-100) cm high, greenish, pale brown to dark brown or purple. Main axes cylindrical (1.5-2.0 mm in diam.). Branching irregular alternate, unilateral or sometimes subdichotomous Branches and branchlets of similar structure, sparse or abundant, cylindrical, tapering to the base and acute tips, slightly constricted or non-constricted basally. Terasporangia pseudocruciately and tetrahedrally divided, 23-40×30-70 mm, embedded in cortex. Cystocarps hemispherical to globose, with small rostrum or non-rostrate, slightly constricted or non-constricted at the base, 1.0-1.3×0.8-1.0 mm, projecting, scattered over the thallus. Attachment by small disc-like holdfast. Growing on muddy bottom (unattached form), on sandy bottom with stones (attached form), low intertidal, upper subtidal.

Europe, North and Central America, Western Atlantic, Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Far East of Russia: the Sea of Japan). South-east Asia (Vietnam).