Macro ID

[Mr. Fish Stick]

Hey Guys,

I have just finished setting up a new tank. On a piece of Marshall rock there is an unusual macro algea ( I think) . My camera is crappy so i cant take a good pic, but ill try to describe it.

The base is calcified tube around 1.5 cm that is dark in color. Coming out, (and it seems to be growing quickly) are 3 green conical structures. When i first noticed it it resemled a bicuspid, sort of a small green V. However, today it has developed into 3 distinct "fingers", although they are all connected a few mm above the base.

Any ideas?


D

 

[graveyardworm]

Possibly Neomeris see here. http://saltcorner.com/sections/guest/algaepage/Green/calcareousalgae/Neomeris.htm

 

[Mr. Fish Stick]

Yea, I saw that particular species when I was searching for an Id. However the one in my tank seems to have multiple (3) heads coming from one base. It is also a darker green color. Perhaps it is in the same family.

Anyone else that might know? I wish my camera didnt suck so much haha.

D

 

[graveyardworm]

Well I think neomeris typically has a white base, possibly yours is a species of codium. http://saltcorner.com/sections/guest/algaepage/Green/calcareousalgae/Cdecorticatum.htm

 

[Mr. Fish Stick]

I tried to take some pics and came up with 2 that are not so blurry. As you can hopefully tell the 3 "stalks" are coming from one larger base. I have also noticed today that the new growth on the third stalk is slightly smaller in diameter than the original, which gives it a stacked look.

 

[Mr. Fish Stick]

After a couple more days the algae has expanded at a fairly fast rate. It has tripled in length, and the stalks have flattened out. This leads me to believe that it some type of Halimeda. After searching it looks like it may be one of these species - H. incrassata, H. discoidea, or H. opunta. It looks really cool, and if it is indeed a type of Halimeda it’s a great addition to the tank. I won’t have to worry about it spreading everywhere and just have to watch out for the gametic release which is apparently identifiable a day or so before it happens.

Ill add a pic once it gets larger, due to the crappiness of small objects with my camera.

D

 

[piercho]

I won’t have to worry about it spreading everywhere

This depends on the Halimeda. H. opuntia, IME, does not spread readily and tends to grow in compact clusters. For comparison, H. tuna can pop up everywhere, and can run across rock and though the sandbed. In general, I like Halimedas, and think they are good looking and manageable macroalgae. For people with branching SPS, it might pay to be cautious with them, as a few (like tuna) can get in the coral where it is difficult to harvest them without breaking the coral branches. They can also put a significant carbonate/Ca++ load on the tank if you have a large biomass of them.