polyp shaped Macro?

[CincyCoral]

I was at the LFS the other day and I found an awsome trumpet shaped polyp, or so I thought... Turned out being a type of macroalgae. I will try to post some pics, but basically it is tanish yellow in color and has blackish purple spots on them (they are also triangluar in shape). Has anyone every seen or heard of somthing like this?

 

[horge]

Though I wish you'd posted a pic...

...sounds like Turbinaria decurrens, or possibly Turbinaria ornata.

We're talking gristly-stiff material, right?
And the "triangular polyps" are coming off an axis or stalk?
Turbinaria is a close cousin of Sargassum

Or did you mean it's a single "polyp" with TRIANGULAR spots?
(See what I mean by wishing for a pic?)

 

[CincyCoral]

well I did a little research on the Turbinaria decurrens, and although I cant get an absolutly clear pictue, it looks very similar! I was wondering if this is good for a tank? So far seems to be doing great, and looking awsome!

 

[horge]

Well, it leaks a bit of mannitol into the water, along with a bunch of water-yellowing goop. I would guess it's okay, though you have to remember it's more of a backreef-lagoonal alga than a common resident of the reef proper.

It also grows pretty freakin huge, like man-tall in the wild, so don't be afraid to prune that sucker back if it starts getting big. Kitchen scissors are good, and run carbon for an hour or so after the cut.

BTW, if and when you get a clear pic of your litle algae... can you post it? And...maybe I can ask for your permission to use it? I'm trying to build an algal database, and pics are among the hardest things to obtain right now.