UPSC Articles
Hypnea Indica; Hypnea Bullata: Two new species of seaweed
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Biodiversity
In news
- Two new species of seaweed have been discovered by a group of marine biologists from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.
Key takeaways
- Named Hypnea indica (after India) and Hypnea bullata (because of the blisterlike marks on its body – bullate), the seaweeds are part of the genus Hypnea or red seaweeds.
- Hypnea indica was discovered in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, and Somnath Pathan and Sivrajpur in Gujarat.
- Hypnea bullata was discovered from Kanyakumari and Diu island of Daman and Diu.
- They grow in the intertidal regions of the coast, namely the area that is submerged during the high tide and exposed during low tides.
- The genus Hypnea consists of calcareous, erect, branched red seaweeds.
