''Kappaphycus'' is a genus of

red algae Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), make up one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta comprises one of the largest Phylum, phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 recognized species within over 900 Genus, genera amidst ongoing taxon ...

. Species are distributed in the waters of

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, the

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, and

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.Guiry, M. D. In: Guiry, M. D. & G. M. Guiry. 2013
''Kappaphycus''.
AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland, Galway. Accessed 07 November 2013. Genus ''Kappaphycus'' is "morphologically plastic", with few visible characters that can be used to separate the taxa, so distinguishing the species can be difficult. In addition, many commercial varieties have been bred. Molecular analyses can be used. In general, these algae have fleshy

thalli Thallus (: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. A thallus usually names the entir ...

that grow erect from one or more anchors. The longest individuals can exceed a meter in length. All species produce kappa-

carrageenan Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfation, sulfated polysaccharides. They are extracted from red algae, red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, an ...

. Farming of this is a large business in the Philippines. Gavino Trono is a Filipino biologist dubbed the “Father of Kappaphycus farming”. ''

Kappaphycus alvarezii ''Kappaphycus alvarezii'', the elkhorn sea moss, is a species of red algae. The elkhorn sea moss varies in size, weight, and age. It is a dark greenish-brown hue and can sometimes be deep purple. The moss is cylindrical in shape throughout the s ...

'' is widely cultivated as a raw source of carrageenan, and other species are used, as well. Several ''Kappaphycus'' are

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

.Conklin, E. J. and J. E. Smith. (2005)
Abundance and spread of the invasive red algae, ''Kappaphycus'' spp., in Kane'ohe Bay, Hawai'i and an experimental assessment of management options.
''Biological Invasions'' 7(6), 1029-39. There are about 5 species: *''

'' *'' Kappaphycus inermis'' *'' Kappaphycus malesianus'' *'' Kappaphycus procrusteanus'' *'' Kappaphycus striatus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16983870 Red algae genera Solieriaceae