#bangiaceae

The genus was erected by Swedish phycologist Jacob Georg Agardh in 1899, although many species were previoiusly in Porphyra, and some are still being moved across as recently as 2013. Species can be difficult to tell apart without microscope work, chromosome counts, and DNA studies.

A red alga, but species may be red, brown, or dark green. The blades can be up a meter long, but usually a fraction of that, and are a single cell thick. Despite that they can survive the harsh changes that come with living in the intertidal zone - otherwise, they can be found living down to about 10m depth if the water is very clear, in temperate and cool seas.

If the common name is familiar that's because growing the stuff is a two-billion-dollar industry, with most major growers located in China, Korea, and Japan.