Description: Thallus erect to 8 cms long, axes polysiphonous and ecorticate with 10 - 13 pericentral cells, much branched, the ultimate branches spine-like.

Habitat: Rare. Epilhytic in rock pools of low littoral.

Distribution: British Isles: England, Ireland, Scotland and the Channel Islands. Europe: France. Further afield: Morocco.

Similar Species: P.fucoides has longer latterals, not spine-like but more or less equal in length to the major axes.

Distribution Map from NBN: Polysiphonia simulans at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Polysiphonia simulans at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Vertebrata simulans

WoRMS: Polysiphonia simulans at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Vertebrata simulans (Harvey) Kuntze, 1891. AphiaID: 651353.

Classification: Biota; Plantae; Biliphyta; Rhodophyta; Eurhodophytina; Florideophyceae; Rhodymeniophycidae; Ceramiales; Rhodomelaceae; Polysiphonieae; Polysiphonia