Occurrence of Codium fragile subsp Tomentosoides (Chlorophyta : Bryopsidales) in marine embayments of southeastern Australia

Codium fragile (Sur.) Harlot subsp. tomentosoides (van Goor) Silva, a wides pread weedy species, is reported from Australia for the first time. Specime ns were initially found in June 1996 in Corner Inlet, Victoria, where the s pecies fouled fishing nets. This invasive chlorophycean alg was subsequentl y found in large numbers on 30 January 1997 in Port Phillip Bay and on 9 Ma rch 1998 in Western Port, Victoria. Presumably the species is native to Jap an. The alga formed dense stands on rocky substrata in intertidal or in sub tidal regions. In Port Phillip Bay, the species was also found attached to the common blue mussel Mytilus edulis planulatus Lamarck, and in Western Po rt it was found attached to the mud oyster Ostrea angasi Sowerby. Results o f this study suggest that recruitment of juvenile germlings and growth of C . fragile subsp. tomentosoides differs between populations in Port Phillip Bay and those in Western Port.