Red Algae ID

[ClamIAm]

Yes, the dreaded red algae. Right now I'm calling it Halymenia but that's only a rough estimate. If I am actually right, or if someone else has a better idea, let me know.

 

[Samala]

I think that's a very good guess.

>Sarah

 

[ClamIAm]

Cool, thanks for the verification. One of these days I really need to get a good algae/plant ID book so I don't have to post on here every time I find something new.

 

[Samala]

I love the Littler's Marine Plants of the Caribbean. Doesn't quite catch everything you'll see pop up from live rock or at your dealer, but its an awesome starting point for getting familiar with overall morphology of algae and getting good at guessing which genus/families you're looking at.

I use it a lot in tandem with algaebase.org's taxonomy browser. That way, if Littler tells me something is super close to Neomeris or Batophora, I can track it down in the taxonomy browser and narrow down the candidates to say Dasycladus or Halicoryne.

>Sarah

 

[kae]

Samala, do you think ClamIAm's algae is the same as mine? Thank you.

 

[Samala]

It does look very similar, yes. Halymenia can show different growth forms under different conditions, but both of these fit the main criteria for this genus/family. And of course, there are several species in this genus. Since its red algae, its never a definite, but I would call that Halymenia.

>Sarah

 

[ClamIAm]

Looks like the same species or at least genus as what I've got. I personally want to know how the people who describe some of these algaes determine different species in genera like this. I'm guessing a microscope is involved.

 

[Plantbrain]

The real question is, now that you know, is that useful to you?

Folks use a combination of things, generally, macros can be ID'd in person with the naked eye, some salient features of each genus can get you pretty close.

It's those pesky little tiny round green things(LRGT's) that bug me. 1-5 microns across, swim faster that Speedy Gonzoles. SEM is about the only way to ID those. Microscopes will not work.

These are nice a large by contrast.

Much easier.
Looks like a pretty red alga, why so harsh on it?
Looks better than a lot of the corals


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Samala]

I think he only referred to it as "the dreaded red algae" because they've been hard for us to get good IDs (without microscopes and all the rest). Not because he doesnt like it.

I've been working on a layman dichotomous key for some of the more common algaes. It hasnt been easy. I want it to be usable, but not too simple.

Anywho.. just as a friendly warning.. be careful when moving Halymenia to new light situations and photoperiods. This is the algae that I had go flourescent orange on me. Very pretty, but it didnt last. The flouresced parts went clear in a few hours and died.

>Sarah

 

[reiverix]

I have that very algae in my planted tank. The main plant is attached to live rock but I've never been able to get a cutting to attach, even after a month or two.

 

[ClamIAm]

Yah, it is only dreaded because everyone seems to have trouble IDing them. I'm quite a fan of the algae itself. I've had it going in my tank for a couple weeks now and no dying/turning orange then clear has happened. I have had problems with some algaes dying off after moving to different lighting before though