Meet the Seaweed - Beautiful Fan Weed
Beautiful Fan Weed (Metacallophyllis laciniata) in Pembrokeshire.
You’ll find this stunning sea plant mainly to the west of Dinas Island in north Pembrokeshire, around the St David's Peninsula and onwards around the coastline to Amroth in the south of the County. Near to us, loose specimens can also be discovered to the east of Dinas Island at both Cwm-yr-Eglwys and Aberfforest beaches - depending on the tides.
Our first ever Beautiful Fan Weed find.
Found at : Aber Bach beach, Dinas Cross
It can reach lengths of up to 15cm in a fronded fan shape, and may also appear with tiny leaflets, giving it a fringed look - we aren't certain if these are merely different varieties of fan weed or if they represent a specific life stage (possibly when releasing spores), as we've found specimens with and without these leaflets.
This image is showing the Fan Weed with leaflets.
Found: Aberfforest beach
The fan shape emerges directly from the holdfast, meaning there is no distinct stem, and they can be found attached to rocks, stones and also as an epiphyte on Kelp at deeper depths.
This is an example that has bleached slightly.
Found: Pwllgwaelod beach.
When floating free from it's holdfast, it can be found in a variety of reds, ranging from deep reds to bright pinks, and can fade to soft cream hues if it has been floating in sunlit water for a some time.
A selection of our Beautiful Fan Weed prints
