''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae ( Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an

agarophyte An agarophyte is a seaweed, typically a red alga, that produces the hydrocolloid agar in its cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes ...

, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

Taxonomy

''Gracilaria'' contains the following subtaxa: *'' Gracilaria abbottiana'' M.D.Hoyle *'' Gracilaria abyssalis'' Gurgel & Yoneshigue-Valentin *'' Gracilaria aculeata'' (Hering) Papenfuss *'' Gracilaria aggregata'' Hooker f. & Harvey *'' Gracilaria ambigua'' Greville *'' Gracilaria apiculata'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan ** ''Gracilaria apiculata'' subsp. ''candelabriformis'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris *'' Gracilaria apiculifera'' J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria arcuata'' f. ''rhizophora'' Børgesen ** ''Gracilaria arcuata'' var. ''attenuata'' Umamaheswara Rao ** ''Gracilaria arcuata'' var. ''snackeyi'' Weber Bosse *''

Gracilaria arcuata ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' Zanardini *'' Gracilaria armata'' (C.Agardh) Greville *'' Gracilaria articulata'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria ascidiicola'' E.Y.Dawson *''

Gracilaria attenuata ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' (M.Umamaheswara Rao) V.Krishnamurthy *''

Gracilaria austromaritima ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' Przhemenstskaya *''

Gracilaria babae ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' (H.Yamamoto) P.-K. Ng, P.-E. Lim & S.-M. Phang *''

Gracilaria baiana ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' Lyra, Gurgel, M.C.Oliveira & Nunes *''

Gracilaria beckeri ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' (J.Agardh) Papenfuss *''

Gracilaria birdiae ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' E.M.Plastino & E.C.Oliveira *''

Gracilaria blodgettii ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' Harvey *''

Gracilaria brasiliensis ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' Gurgel & Yoneshigue-Valentin *''

Gracilaria brevis ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' W.R.Taylor *''

Gracilaria bursa-pastoris ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' (S.G.Gmelin) P.C.Silva *''

Gracilaria camerunensis ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' Pilger *'' Gracilaria canaliculata'' Sonder *'' Gracilaria capensis'' F.Schmitz ex Mazza *'' Gracilaria capitata'' Zanardini *'' Gracilaria cearensis'' (A.B.Joly & Pinheiro) A.B.Joly & Pinheiro *'' Gracilaria cerrosiana'' W.R.Taylor *'' Gracilaria cervicornis'' (Turner) J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria changii'' (B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott, J.Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria chilensis'' C.J.Bird, McLachlan & E.C.Oliveira *'' Gracilaria chondracantha'' (Kützing) A.J.K.Millar *'' Gracilaria chondroides'' (Kützing) P.Crouan & H.Crouan ** ''Gracilaria chorda'' var. ''exilis'' Yamamoto *'' Gracilaria chouae'' Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria cliftonii'' Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft *'' Gracilaria comosa'' Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft ** ''Gracilaria compressa'' var. ''lyra'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria conferta'' (Schousboe ex Montagne) Montagne ** ''Gracilaria confervoides'' f. ''ecortica'' V.M.May ** ''Gracilaria confervoides'' var. ''ramulosa'' Kützing *'' Gracilaria coppejansii'' Muangmai, Lewmanomont, Prathep, Terada & Zuccarello *'' Gracilaria corallicola'' Zanardini *'' Gracilaria cornea'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria corniculata'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh *''

Gracilaria coronopifolia ''Gracilaria coronopifolia'', also known as limu manauea in Hawaiian, or ogo in Japanese, is a species of edible red algae (Rhodophyta Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta also com ...

'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria corticata'' (J.Agardh) J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria corticata'' var. ''cylindrica'' Umamaheswara Rao ** ''Gracilaria corticata'' var. ''linearis'' J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria corticata'' var. ''ramalinioides'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria corymbiata'' (N.Rodríguez de Rios) E.K.Ganesan ** ''Gracilaria crassa'' f. ''conglomerata'' Børgesen *'' Gracilaria crassissima'' (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) P.Crouan & H.Crouan *'' Gracilaria crispata'' Setchell & Gardner *'' Gracilaria crockeri'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria cuneata'' Areschoug *'' Gracilaria cuneifolia'' (Okamura) I.K.Lee & Kurogi *'' Gracilaria curtissiae'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria cylindrica'' Børgesen *'' Gracilaria damicornis'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria dawsonii'' Hoyle *'' Gracilaria debilis'' (Forsskål) Børgesen *'' Gracilaria dendroides'' Gargiulo, De Masi & Tripodi *'' Gracilaria denticulata'' F.Schmitz ex Mazza *'' Gracilaria disputabilis'' (M.Bodard) M.Bodard *'' Gracilaria disticha'' (J.Agardh) J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria divaricata'' Harvey *'' Gracilaria divergens'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria domingensis'' (Kützing) Sonder ex Dickie *'' Gracilaria dotyi'' Hoyle *'' Gracilaria dumosa'' Harvey & Bailey *'' Gracilaria dura'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria dura'' f. ''prolificans'' Reinbold ** ''Gracilaria dura'' var. ''fruticosa'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria ecuadoreana'' (W.R.Taylor) E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria edulis'' (S.G.Gmelin) P.C.Silva *'' Gracilaria ephemera'' Skelton, G.R.South & A.J.K.Millar *'' Gracilaria epihippisora'' Hoyle *'' Gracilaria excavata'' (Setchell & Gardner) G.M.Lyra, C.Iha, M.C. Oliveira, J.M.C.Nunes *'' Gracilaria falconii'' Ardito, Núñez-Resendiz, Dreckmann & Sentíes *'' Gracilaria fanii'' B.M.Xia & Pan *'' Gracilaria ferox'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria firma'' C.F.Chang & B.-M.Xia *'' Gracilaria fisheri'' (B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott, J.Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria flabelliformis'' (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) Fredericq & Gurgel ** ''Gracilaria flabelliformis'' subsp. ''aionana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris ** ''Gracilaria flabelliformis'' subsp. ''simplex'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris *'' Gracilaria flagelliformis'' (Sonder) Womersley *'' Gracilaria flexuosa'' E.M.Holmes *'' Gracilaria foliifera'' (Forsskål) Børgesen ** ''Gracilaria foliifera'' f. ''granatea'' (J.V.Lamouroux) Børgesen *'' Gracilaria fruticosa'' Harvey *'' Gracilaria galetensis'' Gurgel, Fredericq, & J.N.Norris *'' Gracilaria gardneri'' (Setchell) Gurgel, J.N.Norris & Fredericq *'' Gracilaria gigartinoides'' (P.Crouan & H.Crouan) P.Crouan & H.Crouan *'' Gracilaria gigas'' Harvey *'' Gracilaria glomerata'' Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria gracilis'' (Stackhouse) Steentoft, L.M.Irvine & Farnham *'' Gracilaria gurgelii'' Freshwater *'' Gracilaria hainanensis'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria halogenea'' A.J.K.Millar *'' Gracilaria hancockii'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria hauckii'' P.C.Silva *'' Gracilaria hayi'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris *'' Gracilaria hermonii'' Millar *'' Gracilaria heteroclada'' (Montagne) J.Feldmann & G.Feldmann *'' Gracilaria hikkaduwensis'' Durairatnam *'' Gracilaria howensis'' A.H.S.Lucas *'' Gracilaria huangii'' S.-M.Lin & De Clerck *'' Gracilaria hummii'' Hommersand & Freshwater *'' Gracilaria incrustata'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria incurvata'' Okamura *'' Gracilaria indica'' M.Umamaheswara Rao *'' Gracilaria intermedia'' J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria intermedia'' subsp. ''ganesanana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.Norris *'' Gracilaria isabellana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris *'' Gracilaria kanyakumariensis'' Umamaheswara Rao *'' Gracilaria khanjanapajiae'' Saengkaew, Muangmai & Zuccarello *'' Gracilaria kilakkaraiensis'' V.Krishnamurthy & Rajendran *'' Gracilaria lacerata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner *'' Gracilaria lantaensis'' Muangmai, Zuccarello, Noiraksa & Lewmanomont *'' Gracilaria latifrons'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan *''

Gracilaria longa ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (red algae, Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among ...

'' Gargiulo, De Masi & Tripodi *'' Gracilaria longirostris'' Zhang & Wang *'' Gracilaria mammillaris'' (Montagne) M.Howe *'' Gracilaria manilaensis'' Yamamoto & Trono *'' Gracilaria mannarensis'' Umamaheswara Rao *'' Gracilaria maramae'' G.R.South *'' Gracilaria marcialana'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria mayae'' A.J.K.Millar *'' Gracilaria megaspora'' (E.Y.Dawson) Papenfuss *'' Gracilaria mexicana'' (Kützing) P.Crouan & H.Crouan *'' Gracilaria microcarpa'' Dreckmann, Núñez-Resendiz & Sentíes *'' Gracilaria microdendron'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria millardetii'' (Montagne) J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''crenulata'' J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''exposita'' Børgesen ** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''latifolia'' Børgesen ** ''Gracilaria millardetii'' f. ''linearifolia'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria minor'' (Sonder) Durairatnam *'' Gracilaria minuta'' Lewmanomont *'' Gracilaria mixta'' I.A.Abbott, J.Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria multifurcata'' Børgesen *'' Gracilaria multipartita'' (Clemente) Harvey ** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' f. ''prolifera'' E.S.Sinova ** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' f. ''supernediliatata'' E.S.Sinova ** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' var. ''crispa'' (Clemente) Cremades ** ''Gracilaria multipartita'' var. ''elongata'' (Clemente) Cremades *'' Gracilaria occidentalis'' (Børgesen) M.Bodard *'' Gracilaria oliveirarum'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris *'' Gracilaria opuntia'' Durairatnam *'' Gracilaria ornata'' Areschoug *'' Gracilaria pachydermatica'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner *'' Gracilaria pacifica'' I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria palmettoides'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan *'' Gracilaria papenfussii'' I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria parva'' Freshwater, B.Williamson, P.W.Gabrielson & Margarita Brandt *''

Gracilaria parvispora ''Gracilaria parvispora'', also known by the common names long ogo, red ogo, or simply ogo, is a large species of marine red alga in the genus ''Gracilaria'', endemic to Hawaii. It is highly sought after as an edible seaweed and is popular in m ...

'' I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria patens'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan *'' Gracilaria pauciramosa'' (N.Rodríguez de Ríos) A.M.Bellorin, M.C.Oliveira, & E.C.Oliveira *'' Gracilaria percurrens'' (I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria perplexa'' K.Byrne & Zuccarello *'' Gracilaria peruana'' Piccone & Grunow *'' Gracilaria phuquocensis'' N.H.Le, N.Muangmai & G.C.Zuccarello *'' Gracilaria pinnata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner *'' Gracilaria preissiana'' (Sonder) Womersley *'' Gracilaria prolifica'' (Kützing) P.Crouan & H.Crouan *'' Gracilaria protea'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria pudumadamensis'' V.Krishnamurthy & N.R.Rajendran *'' Gracilaria pulvinata'' Skottsberg *'' Gracilaria punctata'' (Okamura) Yamada *'' Gracilaria pygmaea'' Børgesen *'' Gracilaria ramisecunda'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria ramulosa'' (Martius) Greville *'' Gracilaria rangiferina'' (Kützing) Piccone *'' Gracilaria reptans'' (Weber Bosse) P.C.Silva *'' Gracilaria rhodocaudata'' Yamamoto & Kudo *'' Gracilaria rhodymenioides'' A.J.K.Millar *'' Gracilaria robusta'' Setchell *''

Gracilaria rubra ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria rubrimembra'' E.Y.Dawson *''

Gracilaria salicornia ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

'' (C.Agardh) E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria salzmannii'' Bornet ex Möbius *'' Gracilaria secunda'' (C.Agardh) Zanardini *'' Gracilaria secundata'' Harvey *'' Gracilaria secundata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner *'' Gracilaria shimodensis'' Terada, R.& Yamamoto, H. *'' Gracilaria silviae'' Lyra, Gurgel, M.C.Oliveira & J.M.C.Nunes *'' Gracilaria skottsbergii'' W.R.Taylor *'' Gracilaria spinigera'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria spinuligera'' Børgesen *'' Gracilaria spinulosa'' (Okamura) Chang & B.-M.Xia *'' Gracilaria srilankia'' (C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia) A.F.Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft *'' Gracilaria stellata'' I.A.Abbott, Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria stipitata'' A.F.Withell, A.J.K.Millar & Kraft *'' Gracilaria sublittoralis'' Yamada & Segawa ex H.Yamamoto *'' Gracilaria subsecundata'' Setchell & N.L.Gardner *'' Gracilaria subtilis'' (B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott) B.M.Xia & I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria sullivanii'' Yamamoto & Trono *'' Gracilaria suzanneae'' L.P.Soares, C.F.D.Gurgel & M.T.Fujii *'' Gracilaria symmetrica'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria taiwanensis'' S.-M.Lin, L.-C.Liu & Payri *'' Gracilaria tenuissima'' Croaun & Crouan *'' Gracilaria tenuistipitata'' C.F.Chang & B.-M.Xia ** ''Gracilaria tenuistipitata'' var. ''liui'' Zhang & Xia ** ''Gracilaria tenuistipitata'' var. ''tenuistipitata'' C.F.Chang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria tepocensis'' (E.Y.Dawson) E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria textorii'' (Suringar) Hariot ** ''Gracilaria textorii'' f. ''tenuis'' V.May ** ''Gracilaria textorii'' var. ''cunninghamii'' (Farlow) E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria tikvahiae'' McLachlan *'' Gracilaria transtasmanica'' (M.Preuss, N.Muangmai and Zuccarello) G. M.Lyra, C.Iha, J.M.C.Nunes, C.C.Davis *'' Gracilaria tridactylites'' P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria truncata'' Kraft *'' Gracilaria tsudae'' (I.A.Abbott & I.Meneses) I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria tuberculosa'' (Hampe ex Kützing) J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria turgida'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria tuticorinensis'' V.Krishnamurthy & Rajendran *'' Gracilaria urvillei'' (Montagne) I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria usneoides'' (C.Agardh) J.Agardh ** ''Gracilaria usneoides'' var. ''succosa'' J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria vanbosseae'' (I.A.Abbott) I.A.Abbott *'' Gracilaria veloroae'' E.Y.Dawson *'' Gracilaria venezuelensis'' W.R.Taylor *'' Gracilaria vermiculata'' P.J.L.Dangeard *'' Gracilaria vermiculophylla'' (Ohmi) Papenfuss ** ''Gracilaria vermiculophylla'' var. ''zhengii'' (J.F.Zhang & B.M.Xia) Yoshida ** ''Gracilaria verrucosa'' var. ''procerrima'' (Esper) M.P.Reis ** ''Gracilaria verrucosa'' var. ''ramulosa'' (C.Agardh) M.P.Reis *'' Gracilaria vieillardii'' P.C.Silva *'' Gracilaria vieirae'' M.P.Reis *'' Gracilaria viridis'' A.Sfriso, M.A.Wolf, K.Sciuto, M.Morabito, C.Andreoli & I.Moro *'' Gracilaria vivesii'' M.Howe *''

Gracilaria webervanbosseae ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae ( Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, Sout ...

'' Huisman & G.W.Saunders *'' Gracilaria wrightii'' (Turner) J.Agardh *'' Gracilaria xiae-abbotii'' G.M.Lyra, J.M.C.Nunes & C.C.Davis *'' Gracilaria yamamotoi'' Zhang & B.M.Xia *'' Gracilaria yinggehaiensis'' Xia & Wang *'' Gracilaria yoneshigueana'' Gurgel, Fredericq & J.N.Norris S

Distribution

''Gracilaria'' are found in warm waters throughout the world, though they also occur seasonally in temperate waters. It can not tolerate temperatures below . ''Gracilaria'' are found in all oceans except the

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, N ...

. Its center of diversity is the Western Pacific, where it has been traditionally cultivated as a source of agar.

Use

''Gracilaria'' is used as a food in

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

, Hawaiian,

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, and Korean cuisines. In Japanese cuisine, it is called ''ogonori'' or ''ogo''. In the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, it is called ''

gulaman ''Gulaman'', in Filipino cuisine, is a bar, or powdered form, of dried agar or carrageenan used to make jelly-like desserts. In common usage, it also usually refers to the refreshment ''sago't gulaman'', sometimes referred to as ''samalamig' ...

'' and used to make gelatin. In

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

, it is known as ''Irish moss''. In Korea, it is known as ''kkosiraegi''. ''Gracilaria''

oligosaccharide An oligosaccharide (/ˌɑlɪgoʊˈsækəˌɹaɪd/; from the Greek ὀλίγος ''olígos'', "a few", and σάκχαρ ''sácchar'', "sugar") is a saccharide polymer containing a small number (typically two to ten) of monosaccharides (simple sug ...

s with

degree of polymerization The degree of polymerization, or DP, is the number of monomeric units in a macromolecule or polymer or oligomer molecule. For a homopolymer, there is only one type of monomeric unit and the ''number-average'' degree of polymerization is given b ...

6 prepared by agarase digestion from agar-bearing ''Gracilaria'' sp. polysaccharides have been shown to be an effective prophylactic agent during ''

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called " test-tube experiments", these studies in biology ...

'' and ''

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...

'' experiments against

Japanese encephalitis Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infection of the brain caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). While most infections result in little or no symptoms, occasional inflammation of the brain occurs. In these cases, symptoms may include he ...

viral infection. The sulfated oligosaccharides from ''Gracilaria'' sp. seem to be promising candidates for further development as antiviral agents. In Japan, ''Gracilaria'' has been used to produce ''funori'' (), an agar-based glue, since the 17th century.

Aquarium trade

''Gracilaria'' commonly appears as a macroalgae for sale in the aquarium trade. It is a highly palatable algae to

tangs TANGS is a department store located on Orchard Road in Singapore, owned by C.K. Tang Limited. The store is regarded as a principal shopping destination in the city, comparable to Bloomingdale's in New York City and Selfridges in London. The co ...

and many other herbivorous fish, and its nutrient uptake ability makes it a suitable choice for a refugium.

Ecology

''Gracilaria'' are susceptible to infection by the

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

oomycete Oomycota forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms, called oomycetes (). They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction of an oospore is the resul ...

'' Pythium porphyrae''. Reproduction by ''Gracilaria gracilis'' is supported by '' Idotea balthica'' – the first known case of an animal helping algae reproduce.

References

External links

Gracilaria and its Cultivation
(archived at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

)
Gracilaria in the Suria Link Sea Plants Handbook
(archived at the Internet Archive) {{Taxonbar, from=Q3087307 Red algae genera Edible algae Seaweeds Gracilariales Edible seaweeds Marine biota of Asia Marine biota of North America