Description: A thin crust of compact filaments, smooth.

Habitat: Epilithic on stones glass, epiphytic or epizoic on molluscs and maerl. Intertidal pools or sublittoral to 10 m.

Distribution: Widespread around the British Isles England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Europe: Atlantic coast of France, Baltic Sea, Norway, Faroes and Iceland. Greenland. Atlantic coast of North America: Canada, Maine to Massachusetts. Further afield: the Pacific.

Similar Species: There are many small encrusting, non-calacreous, algae which are similar and difficult to identify. Rhodophysems feldmannii Cabioch; Rhodophysema georgii Batters.

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

iNaturalist: Rhodophysema elegans at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Rhodophysema elegans at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Rhodophysema elegans (P.Crouan & H.Crouan ex J.Agardh) P.S.Dixon, 1964. AphiaID: 145774.

Classification: Biota; Plantae; Biliphyta; Rhodophyta; Eurhodophytina; Florideophyceae; Nemaliophycidae; Palmariales; Rhodophysemataceae; Rhodophysema