Coral Stonewort
Chara tomentosa
Coral Stonewort (Chara tomentosa) is a distinctive freshwater macroalga characterized by its coral-like branching structure and rough, calcified surface that gives it a gritty texture. This charophyte forms dense underwater meadows in shallow waters, serving as crucial habitat for invertebrates and fish while helping to stabilize sediments and maintain water clarity through nutrient uptake.
Photo: iNaturalist: no rights reserved, uploaded by Tomas Pocius
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Charophyta
Class
Charophyceae
Order
Charales
Family
Characeae
Genus
Chara
Coral Stonewort belongs to the family Characeae, order Charales, within the Charophyceae class.
Species Profile
Coral Stonewort (Chara tomentosa) is a distinctive freshwater macroalga characterized by its coral-like branching structure and rough, calcified surface that gives it a gritty texture. This charophyte forms dense underwater meadows in shallow waters, serving as crucial habitat for invertebrates and fish while helping to stabilize sediments and maintain water clarity through nutrient uptake.
Coral Stonewort (Chara tomentosa) faces severe decline primarily due to habitat degradation and loss of suitable freshwater environments. Water pollution, eutrophication, and changes in water chemistry have dramatically reduced the quality of shallow, calcareous waters where this aquatic macrophyte thrives. Climate change and human activities continue to fragment and destroy the remaining populations of this critically endangered charophyte.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Coral Stonewort inhabits shallow, clear freshwater environments including pristine lakes, slow-moving streams, and spring-fed pools with hard water rich in calcium carbonate. It requires stable substrates with low nutrient levels and high water transparency, typically establishing in depths of 0.5 to 3 meters where sufficient light penetrates for photosynthesis.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Coral Stonewort (Chara tomentosa) faces severe decline primarily due to habitat degradation and loss of suitable freshwater environments. Water pollution, eutrophication, and changes in water chemistry have dramatically reduced the quality of shallow, calcareous waters where this aquatic macrophyte thrives. Climate change and human activities continue to fragment and destroy the remaining populations of this critically endangered charophyte.
Changes in water chemistry and pH
Habitat loss and degradation
Water pollution and eutrophication
Climate change impacts on aquatic systems
Human disturbance and development pressure
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Coral Stonewort (Chara tomentosa). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/coral-stonewort