Codium edule

Codium edule is a green alga common on shallow reef flats from the intertidal to the subtidal in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.^[1][2][3] The species is common in Hawaiʻi where it is usually called wāwaeʻiole (meaning "ratʻs foot") and considered an edible alga or limu.^[3] Prominent ethnobotanist Isabella Abbott described its usage in her writing.^[2][3]

Codium edule
Scientific classification
Clade:	Viridiplantae
Division:	Chlorophyta
Class:	Ulvophyceae
Order:	Bryopsidales
Family:	Codiaceae
Genus:	Codium
Species:	C. edule
Binomial name
Codium edule P.C.Silva, 1952

Description

Codium edule is a fleshy, dark green seaweed, with a soft, spongy texture. Its repeatedly forked branches lie flat and attach to surfaces, forming mats that incorporate coral rubble, rocks, and shells. ^[4] The fronds of C. edule are split in two or three ways, are round, and get thinner at the ends. The branches are 3-5 mm wide and are held together or to the substratum by small, cushion-like holdfasts.^[5]

Distribution and habitat

Codium edule is found in the Indo-Pacific region. It grows in many places from Hawaii to the Federated States of Micronesia to Papua New Guinea, and as far west as Indonesia.^[6] In the Hawaiian Islands, the type location is Waikiki.^[2] It grows in intertidal zones and tide pools found at 6 to 10 ft deep, and likes attaching itself to coral rubble and broken shells. As a result, this forms clumps of dark green soft branches that are split into smaller parts.^[7]

Human Use and cultural significance

Codium edule serves various purposes, including human food, medicinal applications, animal feed, fish meal, and fertilizer.^[8] Although it can be kept in the fridge for an extended period, it tastes best when consumed within 10 days of foraging. It can be enjoyed as a side dish with fish, seafood, or stew, or mixed with other types of seaweed.^[9] The limu needs first to be washed carefully as grains of sand, pieces of shells and other debris get caught in the mats.^[3]