Effect of the nature of the substratum on the force required to detach a common littoral alga

Abstract

It has been shown that the force required to detach the holdfasts of Fucus vesiculosus depends upon the nature of the substratum; adhesion is less to barnacle shells. The loweradhesion appears to be due to a partial dissolution of the shell by acidic material, probably exndates. Growth of germlings on various substrata indicates that thalli and primary rhizoids develop better on calcareous substrata. Some ecological consequences of the phenomena are examined. © 1969 by the American Society of Zoologists.