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Peacock's tail

Peacock's tail ©Julie Hatcher

Peacock's tail seaweed

Peacock's tail ©Julie Hatcher

Peacock's tail

A scarce but distinctive brown seaweed with curved, funnel-shaped fronds. It is a warmer water species at the northern edge of its range on the south coast of England.

Scientific name

Padina pavonica

When to see

April to September

Species information

Statistics

Grows to 10cm tall
Nationally scarce. Priority UK BAP species. Feature of Conservation Importance.

About

Peacock’s tail is a distinctive seaweed, unlike any other species in the UK. It's less colourful than its name suggests and has an alternative name of turkey-feather algae. It grows in rockpools in scattered locations along the south coasts of England and Wales.

The creamy coloured, funnel-shaped fronds feel papery and chalky to the touch and get torn with age. On close inspection they are covered in fine hairs which give them a slightly fuzzy appearance underwater.

How to identify

Clusters of curved, funnel-shaped fronds which are cream to pale brown in colour, with concentric, chalky bands.

Distribution

A few locations on the south coast of England, including Dorset, and the south coast of Wales.

Did you know?

This seaweed likes warmer water and is more common further south, for example in the Mediterranean. In the UK it is limited to the south coasts of England and Wales.