Cystophora retroflexa

Cystophora retroflexa is a brown alga species in the genus Cystophora.^[1] It found is found off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia.^[2] It is the type species of the genus. Prefers more sheltered environments compared to other Cystophora species, often found in sheltered reefs from 0 to 12 m in depth.^[3]

Cystophora retroflexa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Stramenopiles
Phylum:	Gyrista
Subphylum:	Ochrophytina
Class:	Phaeophyceae
Order:	Fucales
Family:	Sargassaceae
Genus:	Cystophora
Species:	C. retroflexa
Binomial name
Cystophora retroflexa (Labillardière) J.Agardh 1848
Synonyms
Fucus retroflexus Labillardière 1807

Description

It is a large, open species with floats longer (4–10 mm) than broad (3–6 mm). The final branches are long (20–60 mm) and thin (1–2 mm). The side branches have smaller branches arising at irregular intervals from all sides, rather than the seaweed having branches in the one plane.^[3]

Biochemistry

This species contains phlorotannins of the classes of phlorethols and fucophlorethols (phloroglucinol, difucol, tetraphlorethol-E, pentaphlorethol-B, hexaphlorethol-A, fucotriphlorethol-G, fucotriphlorethol-H, fucotetraphlorethol-J, fucotetraphlorethol-K, fucopentaphlorethol-E, bisfucoheptaphlorethol-A, difucofucotriphlorethol-A, difucofucotetraphlorethol-B, terfucohexaphlorethol-B, terfucoheptaphlorethol-A, diphlorethol, triphlorethol-A, tetraphlorethol-C, fucophlorethol-B, fucodiphlorethol-D, fucotriphlorethol-B, fucotetra-phlorethol-B, bisfucotriphlorethol-A, bisfucotetraphlorethol-A, bisfucopentaphlorethol-A, bisfucopentaphlorethol-B, difucophlorethol-A, difucofucotetraphlorethol-A, terfucopentaphlorethol-A and terfucohexaphlorethol-A).^[4] There are also halogenated phlorethols and fucophlorethols (chlorinated, brominated and iodinated derivatives).^[5]