Burgundy Maerl Weed (Cruoria cruoriaeformis)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Non-vascular plant (incl. chromists) > alga > Alga |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | Cruoria cruoriiformis |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Cruoria cruoriaeformis |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (P.L. Crouan & H.M. Crouan) Denizot |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | Valid species and taxonomy is robust. BAP species; section 41 listed, is restricted to live maerl. Red listing not yet accepted, still being reviewed by JNCC. The publication is Brodie et al. (2023). |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Although our red listing process shows it as NT or LC, there are few records and it needs the same protection as maerl beds as it is restricted to maerl. JNCC required minor changes so it has not been officially accepted yet. The publication is Brodie et al., 2023. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | Because this species is more or less confined to live maerl, maerl habitat protection will include it - but we agree it fails to meet the criteria |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | As part of maerl bed conservation, particularly to stop scallop dredging and siting of mussel aquaculture both of which are damaging maerl beds in SW England based on recent NE surveys |
Species Assessment
Not relevant as no Key Actions defined.
Key Actions
No Key Actions Defined
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.