Attn: Moderator....
- Thread starter rherron
- Start date
Bill, I'm already putting something together,
on webspace graciously provided by TRT.
I've collated a master list for tropical reef reds, greens and browns, and have set up photos and descrip for maybe thirty of them. You see, most algal lists on the net are too inclusive: even strictly-temperate region algae are included.
My main problem is finding good-quality, royalty-free photos ---something the foine ffoulke of this forum may have in abundance
Wanna hook up?
I need sharp, clear algal photos, folks.
For example: I can't find any good, sharp closeups of VERY common weeds like Derbesia, Bryopsis and the like ---precisely because they aren't 'pretty' subjects. My camera won't cut it.
The list I have on hand involves maybe 1380 species.
Of that, perhaps 400 are common/hardy enough to be a concern to reef aquarists. Surely we can kill 400 on that list.
If you like, I can post a Genus of the week or something, with descriptions and whatnot, and then invite the photos to come in so that each species under said Genus gets its proper coverage.
What say you?
horge
on webspace graciously provided by TRT.
I've collated a master list for tropical reef reds, greens and browns, and have set up photos and descrip for maybe thirty of them. You see, most algal lists on the net are too inclusive: even strictly-temperate region algae are included.
My main problem is finding good-quality, royalty-free photos ---something the foine ffoulke of this forum may have in abundance
Wanna hook up?
I need sharp, clear algal photos, folks.
For example: I can't find any good, sharp closeups of VERY common weeds like Derbesia, Bryopsis and the like ---precisely because they aren't 'pretty' subjects. My camera won't cut it.
The list I have on hand involves maybe 1380 species.
Of that, perhaps 400 are common/hardy enough to be a concern to reef aquarists. Surely we can kill 400 on that list.
If you like, I can post a Genus of the week or something, with descriptions and whatnot, and then invite the photos to come in so that each species under said Genus gets its proper coverage.
What say you?
horge
Last edited:
K.L.
Just to be clear: I have been talking about marine benthic macroalgae. None of that unicellular pelagic stuff.
Anyway, the problem is if I throw out a name, very few hobbyists are going to know what I'm talking about.
For example: Pedobesia
I have to throw out a name AND a pic ---easy to do if I borrow a published photo from a book (just for the post). Then your royalty-free photos that look similar can roll in.
I weekly give you the lowdown on a particular Genus, along with a scanned pic to start us off, (or if I'm short, maybe those of you who have refs that have photos can scan and post)
...then members post their own clear, sharp pics that I can use for my online database. So, RC gets some information, and I get pics to finish my database. It is best to restrict it to one Genus a week (except maybe for gigantic Genera like Gracilaria or Caulerpa). I could post the weekly-genus thing simultaneously on RC and TRT so we online reefers can all work towards a joint list. (Kumbaya....kumbaya)
All photos eventually chosen and used in the database would of course be marked to the photographer's credit.
Again, this requires coordination with the powers-that-be on RC.
Lemme know
Just to be clear: I have been talking about marine benthic macroalgae. None of that unicellular pelagic stuff.
Anyway, the problem is if I throw out a name, very few hobbyists are going to know what I'm talking about.
For example: Pedobesia
I have to throw out a name AND a pic ---easy to do if I borrow a published photo from a book (just for the post). Then your royalty-free photos that look similar can roll in.
I weekly give you the lowdown on a particular Genus, along with a scanned pic to start us off, (or if I'm short, maybe those of you who have refs that have photos can scan and post)
...then members post their own clear, sharp pics that I can use for my online database. So, RC gets some information, and I get pics to finish my database. It is best to restrict it to one Genus a week (except maybe for gigantic Genera like Gracilaria or Caulerpa). I could post the weekly-genus thing simultaneously on RC and TRT so we online reefers can all work towards a joint list. (Kumbaya....kumbaya)
All photos eventually chosen and used in the database would of course be marked to the photographer's credit.
Again, this requires coordination with the powers-that-be on RC.
Lemme know
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If you like, I can post a Genus of the week or something
Yes please!
then members post their own clear, sharp pics that I can use for my online database.
Hmmm... I think I could get you pictures of at liest 250 of those from all the algae I have in my tank right now. All I need is a digital camera.
I have one branching hair algae in my tank that I have tried to id for two years now, but have yet to find anything online that is a good match. Maybe I can get a pic to you to see if you can id it.
Definately need to get that digital camera.
Fred.
Yes please!
then members post their own clear, sharp pics that I can use for my online database.
Hmmm... I think I could get you pictures of at liest 250 of those from all the algae I have in my tank right now. All I need is a digital camera.
I have one branching hair algae in my tank that I have tried to id for two years now, but have yet to find anything online that is a good match. Maybe I can get a pic to you to see if you can id it.
Definately need to get that digital camera.
Fred.
Uhmm, well, I didn't mean to hijack the thread.
The original topic was a "sticky post FAQ".
My point is, that may just not be do-able even with just the most common algae: The "FAQ" thread would become exceedingly long to the point of uselessness. An online algal-identification tool AND a simple database of species may the easiest way.
Here is an example of what I crank out, copied and pasted from my database called the MaBMA (for "marine benthic macro algae") catalogue, with heavy editing for brevity:
*******
Acanthophora muscoides (Linnaeus) Bory de Saint-Vincent 1828
Taxonomic History
First described as Fucus muscoides by Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) in his 1753 'Species Plantarum', this alga was reassigned in 1828 by the Baron Jean Baptiste Geneviève Marcellin Bory de Saint-Vincent, in the course of reporting on a French scientific expedition (1822-1825).
Description
This alga forms an upright, branching, cloudy gray to dirty yellow, somewhat gristly-brittle thallus, with the solid-cylindrical branches usually 2 mm diameter at their thickest and tapering towards branch-tips, and issuing reddish, short (determinate) spinous branchlets at somewhat regular intervals along an imaginary spiral wound about the branch; said branchlets sometimes developing into full branches which again feature reddish spinous growths. The spinous branchlets feature simple hairlike trichoblasts and reproductive structures (tetrasporangia).
closeup of A. muscoides branch, showing the reddish, spinous determinate branchlets. Note the spiralling distribution of the branchlets about the axes.
Habitat & Distribution
Found in portions of the backreef and flats protected from strong wave action, anchored to rocky or rubble-and-sand substrate. Also found as a component of sediment-trapping algal thatch, frequently in combination with Actinotrichia fragilis, Gracilaria spp. and/or certain Caulerpa spp. and other thatch algae. It is sometimes obscured by motley filamentous and filming epiphytes.
This alga enjoys a global distribution, from generally throughout the shores of the tropical Indian Ocean, out into Northeastern Australia. Thence North through the Western Pacific, through Indonesia, the Philippines, along the Asian mainland on up to Japan. It is even found around the frigid Auckland Islands. A. muscoides is also found throughout the Caribbean, along Africa's Atlantic coast, and purportedly the eastern Mediterranean.
Aquaristic Notes:
May exhibit aggressive growth rate, once established. Has a noted ability to anchor to most any surface, including even that of living coral. Thallus, as noted, is brittle. This, in conjunction with strong anchorage, makes it extremely likely that viable tissue is left behind in the course of attempted physical removal.
No known contact risk to humans.
No reported aquarium herbivores.
Please submit your experiences or images of this alga.
Selected submissions will be included, with proper credit given.
******
This is taken from a species page, and what I'm proposing is a somewhat-weekly Genus thread, posted to RC and TRT boards, with anywhere from 1 to 20-odd species involved under it.
If we can find some way to rise above inter-BB politics and economics, maybe we can work together. There was a time when TRT and RC were like sister boards, you know...
horge
The original topic was a "sticky post FAQ".
My point is, that may just not be do-able even with just the most common algae: The "FAQ" thread would become exceedingly long to the point of uselessness. An online algal-identification tool AND a simple database of species may the easiest way.
Here is an example of what I crank out, copied and pasted from my database called the MaBMA (for "marine benthic macro algae") catalogue, with heavy editing for brevity:
*******
Acanthophora muscoides (Linnaeus) Bory de Saint-Vincent 1828
Taxonomic History
First described as Fucus muscoides by Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) in his 1753 'Species Plantarum', this alga was reassigned in 1828 by the Baron Jean Baptiste Geneviève Marcellin Bory de Saint-Vincent, in the course of reporting on a French scientific expedition (1822-1825).
Description
This alga forms an upright, branching, cloudy gray to dirty yellow, somewhat gristly-brittle thallus, with the solid-cylindrical branches usually 2 mm diameter at their thickest and tapering towards branch-tips, and issuing reddish, short (determinate) spinous branchlets at somewhat regular intervals along an imaginary spiral wound about the branch; said branchlets sometimes developing into full branches which again feature reddish spinous growths. The spinous branchlets feature simple hairlike trichoblasts and reproductive structures (tetrasporangia).
closeup of A. muscoides branch, showing the reddish, spinous determinate branchlets. Note the spiralling distribution of the branchlets about the axes.
Habitat & Distribution
Found in portions of the backreef and flats protected from strong wave action, anchored to rocky or rubble-and-sand substrate. Also found as a component of sediment-trapping algal thatch, frequently in combination with Actinotrichia fragilis, Gracilaria spp. and/or certain Caulerpa spp. and other thatch algae. It is sometimes obscured by motley filamentous and filming epiphytes.
This alga enjoys a global distribution, from generally throughout the shores of the tropical Indian Ocean, out into Northeastern Australia. Thence North through the Western Pacific, through Indonesia, the Philippines, along the Asian mainland on up to Japan. It is even found around the frigid Auckland Islands. A. muscoides is also found throughout the Caribbean, along Africa's Atlantic coast, and purportedly the eastern Mediterranean.
Aquaristic Notes:
May exhibit aggressive growth rate, once established. Has a noted ability to anchor to most any surface, including even that of living coral. Thallus, as noted, is brittle. This, in conjunction with strong anchorage, makes it extremely likely that viable tissue is left behind in the course of attempted physical removal.
No known contact risk to humans.
No reported aquarium herbivores.
Please submit your experiences or images of this alga.
Selected submissions will be included, with proper credit given.
******
This is taken from a species page, and what I'm proposing is a somewhat-weekly Genus thread, posted to RC and TRT boards, with anywhere from 1 to 20-odd species involved under it.
If we can find some way to rise above inter-BB politics and economics, maybe we can work together. There was a time when TRT and RC were like sister boards, you know...
horge
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TRT = TheReefTank.com
RC = Reefcentral.com
TRT is the slightly older of the two, but while it has experts on board, has always made an effort to maintain a family-safe forum. It was founded by Brooke.
RC allows more confrontational language (which can sometimes be very productive) and places some emphasis on advanced information . It was founded by Larry, Henry, and Mike.
I remember when TRT and RC had maybe twenty new posts a day each
RC = Reefcentral.com
TRT is the slightly older of the two, but while it has experts on board, has always made an effort to maintain a family-safe forum. It was founded by Brooke.
RC allows more confrontational language (which can sometimes be very productive) and places some emphasis on advanced information . It was founded by Larry, Henry, and Mike.
I remember when TRT and RC had maybe twenty new posts a day each
horge said:I remember when TRT and RC had maybe twenty new posts a day each
Your bringing back memeries my friend
I still think the RC crew and TRT crew are sociable with each other. Just don't get as much time as we used to in order to visit our TRT friends. Horge, when you want to post for pictures I'll be happy to make it a sticky and see what kind of pictures we all can come up with for you.
Shoot me the link for your data base and we'll stick up top to the forum
Ray,
Looks like you started something
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