View source for Chondrus crispus

{{Short description|Species of edible alga}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Sea moss|CMOS}}
{{Distinguish|Sagina subulata|text=[[Sagina subulata]], a flowering plant also called Irish Moss}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Irish moss
| image =Chondrus_crispus_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-034.jpg
| image_caption = A-D ''Chondrus crispus''; E-F ''[[Mastocarpus stellatus]]''|
| genus = Chondrus
| species = crispus
| authority = [[John Stackhouse (botanist)|Stackh.]]
}}'''''Chondrus crispus'''''—commonly called '''Irish moss''' or '''carrageenan moss''' (Irish ''carraigín'', "little rock")—is a species of [[red algae]]<ref>{{citation |last1=Wilkes |first1=Robert |title=Chondrus crispus (carrageen) |date=13 August 2021 |doi=10.1079/cabicompendium.89386 |doi-access=free }}</ref>  which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coasts of Europe and North America. In its fresh condition it is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown. The principal constituent is a mucilaginous body, made of the polysaccharide [[carrageenan]], which constitutes 55% of its dry weight. The organism also consists of nearly 10% dry weight protein and about 15% dry weight mineral matter, and is rich in [[iodine]] and [[sulfur]]. When softened in water it has a sea-like odour. Because of the abundant cell wall polysaccharides, it will form a [[Gelatin|jelly]] when boiled, containing from 20 to 100 times its weight of water.

== Description ==
''Chondrus crispus'' is a relatively small sea alga, reaching up to a little more than {{convert|20|cm|frac=4}} in length. It grows from a discoid [[holdfast (biology)|holdfast]] and branches four or five times in a dichotomous, fan-like manner. The morphology is highly variable, especially the broadness of the thalli. The branches are 2–15&nbsp;mm broad and firm in texture, and the color ranges from bright green towards the surface of the water, to deep red at greater depths.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sadava |first1=David |last2=Heller |first2=Craig |last3=Orians |first3=Gordon |last4=Purves |first4=Bill |last5=Hillis |first5=David |title=Life: The Science of Biology |date=2008 |publisher=Sinauer Associates |location=Sunderland, MA |isbn=978-0-7167-7671-0 |page=601 |edition=8th}}</ref> The [[gametophyte]]s (see below) often show a blue [[iridescence]] at the tip of the fronds<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chandler|first1=Chris J.|last2=Wilts|first2=Bodo D.|last3=Vignolini|first3=Silvia|last4=Brodie|first4=Juliet|last5=Steiner|first5=Ullrich|last6=Rudall|first6=Paula J.|last7=Glover|first7=Beverley J.|last8=Gregory|first8=Thomas|last9=Walker|first9=Rachel H.|title=Structural colour in Chondrus crispus|journal=Scientific Reports|date=3 July 2015|volume=5|article-number=11645|doi=10.1038/srep11645|pmid=26139470|pmc=5155586|bibcode=2015NatSR...511645C}}</ref> and fertile sporophytes show a spotty pattern. ''[[Mastocarpus stellatus]]'' (Stackhouse) Guiry is a similar species which can be readily distinguished by its strongly channelled and often somewhat twisted thalli.

Irish moss undergoes an [[alternation of generation]] lifecycle common in many species of algae. The two distinct stages are the sexual [[haploid]] [[gametophyte]] stage and the asexual [[diploid]] [[sporophyte]] stage. In addition, a third stage – the [[carposporophyte]] – is formed on the female gametophyte after fertilization. The male and female gametophytes produce gametes which fuse to form a diploid carposporophyte, which forms [[carpospore]]s, which develops into the sporophyte. The sporophyte then undergoes [[meiosis]] to produce haploid tetraspores (which can be male or female) that develop into gametophytes. The three stages (male, female, and sporophyte) are difficult to distinguish when they are not fertile; however, the gametophytes often show a blue iridescence.

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Life cycle Chondrus.jpg|Lifecycle of ''C.&nbsp;crispus'': Below the life stages are indicated if the life stage is [[haploid]](n) or [[diploid]] (2n) and the type of [[carrageenan]] present.
|Chondrus crispus.jpg|How the lifecycles of ''C.&nbsp;crispus'' might look in nature: The [[gametophyte]]s show blue iridescence and the fertile [[sporophyte]]s exhibit a spotty pattern.
|Haeckel Florideae Chondrus crispus.png|Illustration from ''[[Kunstformen der Natur]]'' (1904)
|Cultured Chondrus.jpg|Laboratory-grown specimen displaying high symmetry.
}}

==Distribution==
''Chondrus crispus'' is commonly found along the shores of Ireland and the coast of Europe including [[Iceland]], the [[Faroe Islands]],<ref name="Börgesen 03">{{cite book |author=F. Börgesen |year=1903 |chapter=Marine Algae of the Faröes |title=Botany of the Faröes based upon Danish investigations Part II (Copenhagen Reprint 1970) |page=35 |publisher=Linnaeus Press |isbn=978-90-6105-011-7}}</ref> western [[Baltic Sea]] to southern Spain.<ref name="Dixon and Irvine 77">{{cite book|author=P. S. Dixon & L. M. Irvine|title=Seaweeds of the British Isles. Vol. 1 Rhodophyta Part 1: Introduction, Nemaliales, Gigartinales|publisher=[[British Museum (Natural History)]] London|year=1977|isbn=978-0-565-00781-2}}</ref> It is found on the Atlantic coasts of Canada<ref name="Dixon and Irvine 77" /><ref name="Taylor 72">{{cite book |author=W. R. Taylor |year=1972 |title=Marine Algae of the Northeastern Coast of North America |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]], Ann Arbor |isbn=978-0-472-04904-2}}</ref> and recorded from California in the United States to Japan.<ref name="Dixon and Irvine 77" /> However, any distribution outside the Northern Atlantic needs to be verified.
There are also other species of the same genus in the Pacific Ocean, for example, ''C. ocellatus'' Holmes, ''C. nipponicus'' Yendo, ''C. yendoi'' Yamada ''et'' Mikami, ''C. pinnulatus'' (Harvey) Okamura and ''C. armatus'' (Harvey) Yamada ''et'' Mikami.<ref name="Hu et al. 2007">Hu, Z., Critchley, A.T., Gao T, Zeng X,  Morrell, S.L. and Delin, D. 2007 Delineation of Chondrus (Gigartinales, Florideophyceae) in China and the origin of C. crisps inferred from molecular data. Marine Biology Research, 3: 145-154</ref>

==Ecology==
''Chondrus crispus'' is found growing on rock from the middle intertidal [[Littoral zone|zone]] into the subtidal zone,<ref>Morton, O. 1994.  ''Marine Algae of Northern Ireland.'' Ulster Museum {{ISBN|0 900761 28 8}}</ref> all the way to the ocean floor.  It is able to survive with minimal sunlight.

''C. crispus'' is susceptible to infection from the [[Oomycota|oomycete]] ''[[Pythium porphyrae]]''.<ref name="Diehl">{{cite journal|last1=Diehl|first1=Nora|last2=Kim|first2=Gwang Hoon|last3=Zuccarello|first3=Giuseppe C.|title=A pathogen of New Zealand Pyropia plicata (Bangiales, Rhodophyta), Pythium porphyrae (Oomycota)|journal=Algae|date=March 2017|volume=32|issue=1|pages=29–39|doi=10.4490/algae.2017.32.2.25|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="LéVesque">{{cite journal|last1=LéVesque|first1=C.André|last2=De Cock|first2=Arthur W.A.M.|s2cid=20561417|title=Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Pythium|journal=Mycological Research|date=December 2004|volume=108|issue=12|pages=1363–1383|doi=10.1017/S0953756204001431|pmid=15757173|language=en|issn=0953-7562|oclc=358362888}}</ref>

{{nutritional value | name=Seaweed, irishmoss, raw
| kJ=205
| protein=1.51 g
| fat=0.16 g
| carbs=12.29 g
| fiber=1.3 g
| sugars=0.61 g
| calcium_mg=72
| iron_mg=8.9
| magnesium_mg=144
| phosphorus_mg=157
| sodium_mg=61
| zinc_mg=1.95
| manganese_mg=0.37
| vitC_mg=3
| riboflavin_mg=0.466
| niacin_mg=0.593
| pantothenic_mg=0.176
| vitB6_mg=0.069
| folate_ug=182
| vitE_mg=0.87
| vitK_ug=5
| source_usda = 1
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168456/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

==Uses==
''C. crispus'' is traditionally used fresh as a thickening agent in [[carrageen pudding]], a [[milk]]-based dish eaten in [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]].

Likewise, it is an industrial source of [[carrageenan]] commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in milk products, such as [[ice cream]] and processed foods.<ref name="pubchem">{{cite web |title=Carageenan |url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carrageenan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113093031/https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carrageenan |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |publisher=PubChem, US National Library of Medicine |access-date=11 January 2021 |date=9 January 2021}}</ref> In Europe, it is indicated as [[E407]] or E407a. It may also be used as a thickener in calico printing and paper marbling, and for [[finings|fining]] beer.<ref name=pubchem/><ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Irish Moss |volume=14 |page=795}}</ref> Irish moss is frequently used with ''Mastocarpus stellatus'' (''Gigartina mamillosa''), ''Chondracanthus acicularis '' (''G. acicularis''), and other [[seaweed]]s, which are all commonly found growing together. Carrageenan may be extracted from tropical seaweeds of the genera ''[[Kappaphycus]]'' and ''[[Eucheuma]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Bixler | first1 = H. J. | last2 = Porse | first2 = H. | year = 2011 | title = A decade of change in the seaweed hydrocolloids industry | journal = Journal of Applied Phycology | volume = 23 | issue = 3| pages = 321–335 | doi=10.1007/s10811-010-9529-3| bibcode = 2011JAPco..23..321B | s2cid = 24607698 }}</ref>

==Scientific interest==

''C. crispus'', compared to most other [[seaweed]]s, is well-investigated scientifically. It has been used as a model species to study [[photosynthesis]], carrageenan [[biosynthesis]], and stress responses. The [[nuclear genome]] was sequenced in 2013.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Collén | first1 = J |display-authors=et al | year = 2013 | title = Genome structure and metabolic features in the red seaweed ''Chondrus crispus'' shed light on evolution of the Archaeplastida | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume =  110| issue = 13| pages =  5247–5252| doi = 10.1073/pnas.1221259110 | pmid=23503846 | pmc=3612618| bibcode = 2013PNAS..110.5247C | doi-access = free }}</ref> The genome size is 105 [[Mega base pairs|Mbp]] and is coding for 9,606 genes. It is characterised by relatively few genes with very few [[intron]]s. The genes are clustered together, with normally short distances between genes and then large distances between groups of genes.

==See also==
* ''[[Gelidium amansii]]''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{EB1911 poster|Irish Moss}}
* [http://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=19519 AlgaeBase: Chondrus crispus]
* [https://archive.today/20110716074954/http://www.seaweed.ie/descriptions/Chondrus_crispus.html Chondrus crispus Stackhouse] ''Chondrus crispus''.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100819024854/http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/chondruscrispus.htm Marine Life Information Network]
* Irish Moss industry on Prince Edward Island [https://web.archive.org/web/20071013163913/http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/PrinceEdwardIslandHarvest/moss_e/index.html]
* [https://datavagyanik.com/reports/united-states-sea-moss-market-size-trends-segments-and-forecast/ Sea Moss Market Report]

{{Irish cuisine}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q4963539}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Edible algae]]
[[Category:Gigartinaceae]]
[[Category:Flora of Jamaica]]
[[Category:Demulcents]]
[[Category:Taxa named by John Stackhouse]]
[[Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status]]
[[Category:Lithophytes]]