This lifeform is found in the eastern Pacific from California to Peru. This lifeform is marine and found only in salt water.

Brown Algae Group (Phaedophyta) is usually broken into three main categories:  The Chrysophyta, the  Pyrrophyta, and the Phaeophyta. Golden Brown Algae Group (Chrysophyta) has about 6,000 species. Fire Algae Group (Pyrrophyta) contains about 1,000 species. The group has a broad habitat base from parasites to the marine algae that produce the red tides. Brown Algae Group (Phaeophyta) has about 1,000 species. Most of these are marine seaweeds with the giant kelps as typical examples.

Protista kingdom (sometimes spelled as Protoctista) contains numerous phyla including unicellular animals and algae.