Species profile
Narrowleaf Sargasso
Sargassum natans
Identify Narrowleaf Sargasso (Sargassum natans) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app.
At a glance
Narrowleaf Sargasso (Sargassum natans) is a marine alga with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 53 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, Texas, and North Carolina the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Together with Sargassum fluitans, it forms the vast floating mats of the open-ocean Sargasso Sea.
- It drifts its entire life — never attaching to the seafloor.
- Gas-filled bladders called pneumatocysts keep its fronds floating near the ocean surface.
- Sargassum mats shelter juvenile sea turtles, seahorses, sargassum fish, and hundreds of invertebrate species.
- It reproduces entirely by fragmentation in open water, never producing spores.
Where Narrowleaf Sargasso are seen
Background
Sargassum natans is a species of brown algae in the family Sargassaceae. In English the species goes by the common names common gulfweed, narrowleaf gulfweed, or spiny gulfweed.: 126
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Narrowleaf Sargasso article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Frequently asked questions
What is Narrowleaf Sargasso?
Narrowleaf Sargasso (Sargassum natans) is a marine alga with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
What is the scientific name for Narrowleaf Sargasso?
Narrowleaf Sargasso is Sargassum natans.
Are there fishing rules for Narrowleaf Sargasso?
Narrowleaf Sargasso does not currently have published fishing rules in CatchRules' curated jurisdictions. Identification, range, and habitat are still tracked above.
How can I identify Narrowleaf Sargasso?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Narrowleaf Sargasso along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.