Beautiful new unknown macro

[mzkrista]

http://i.imgur.com/uaWfiuT.jpg
Found this beautiful macro today. Never seen anything like it. It's thin leafy rubbery and slimy to the touch. It has violet pink green and a bluish white to it. Anyone know what it could possibly be?

 

[mzkrista]

Gosh 84 views and no response?

 

[lifeoffaith]

Really cool! Is it growing like that (circular flower looking)? Or did you just drop it in the water. My first thought was maybe an ulva of some sort, but that doesn't usually grow like that to my knowledge.

 

[mzkrista]

No its growing in circular petals but it's definatly not rose petal or Ulva. I'm thinking its some sort of halymenia but idk. Hey phobos2deimos do you know?

 

[jefra]

Really beautiful.

I apologize for the horrible comparison photos, but it seems to resemble Mastophora pacifica to me. Keep in mind these pictures were taken in the absence of actinic lighting which could explain the stronger colors in your specimen. It could also be another of the four species in the Mastophora genus which aren't well documented.

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?stat=BROWSE&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Mastophora+pacifica&title_tag=Mastophora+pacifica

 

[mzkrista]

Ok Jefra I'll look into that species for investigation. Did yours get longer rounded leafs?

 

[jefra]

Ok Jefra I'll look into that species for investigation. Did yours get longer rounded leafs?

It keeps a ruffled, foliose appearance, different from yours. Some calcified macroalgae can grow adaptively depending on light conditions similar to stony corals. Also, M. pacifica can appear in many different colors depending on the location it's harvested from.

I'm not certain they're the same species, but figured you could use a starting point.

 

[mzkrista]

I don't think it's that because it's not calcified. It's soft and rubbery to the touch more like a Halymenia. Thanks for trying to help Id.

 

[lifeoffaith]

After you suggested halymenia I went and did a search, could it be halymenia dilatata?

 

[jraker]

I have no idea. Some sort of halymenia. You should frag it and sell it.

 

[Subsea]

If it is a Halmenia species it should feel slippery to the touch.

 

[mzkrista]

Yeah it's slippery and really think it's similar to that halymenia dilatata but has more pink to it.

 

[cHRoNzZe 619]

Nice piece..... Please pm me if you are willing to sell a frag ..... Not sure what is it but it's a pretty one