What's the dark brown "grungy" hairy stuff?

[karimwassef]

This isn't stringy, hairy, or bubbly stuff. It's "spongy" to touch but looks hairy. it's soft and a little slimy to touch, but doesn't come off when touched. It can be grated off.

What is it?

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/DB378788-C0A6-41EF-B7F8-790BD9131F44_zpsro0ztcm9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/DB378788-C0A6-41EF-B7F8-790BD9131F44_zpsro0ztcm9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DB378788-C0A6-41EF-B7F8-790BD9131F44_zpsro0ztcm9.jpg"/></a>

Here it is from above... it's in the groove between the rocks

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/91798012-B56B-438A-AC76-E0D6DE2D067B_zpsbddmhbbd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/91798012-B56B-438A-AC76-E0D6DE2D067B_zpsbddmhbbd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 91798012-B56B-438A-AC76-E0D6DE2D067B_zpsbddmhbbd.jpg"/></a>

It's relatively ugly.. but it grows by spreading on the rock it's on. It's not spreading over other rocks.

 

[username in use]

Looks like some kind of furry algae. Does it stay to low light areas?

 

[karimwassef]

no. It's in the groove against the top, but it gets MH lighting too.

 

[karimwassef]

noone knows?

 

[karimwassef]

Ok. It's on another rock now. I can see a trace where it has crawled in the darker zones like a little creeping vine.

I can "peel" it off with tweezers, but I want to know what it is.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hhIjIHFm5cE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It's not hair algae - this is dark brown or purle/violet.
It's definitely spongy and won't just come off (see it in the surge flow in the video)
It spreads by covering a surface, not appearing over all rocks like an algae.
It's no cyano - it doesn't blow away.
It's not dinos - it's there day and night and only on rocks - never on sand. It's also a solid mass, not bubbly or snotty.

It feels like "moss"...

There's got to a biologist or other experienced marine expert who's seen this stuff?

 

[karimwassef]

Got some better close ups... Looks like a dark purple hair?

It likes shadows:

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/309E3AC5-4D22-48B7-978F-8292FC5CCCA7_zpsn0vubzmy.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/309E3AC5-4D22-48B7-978F-8292FC5CCCA7_zpsn0vubzmy.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 309E3AC5-4D22-48B7-978F-8292FC5CCCA7_zpsn0vubzmy.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/32CF74EA-3F0F-4B22-B0DA-C8F44D157353_zpscp6siesb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/32CF74EA-3F0F-4B22-B0DA-C8F44D157353_zpscp6siesb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 32CF74EA-3F0F-4B22-B0DA-C8F44D157353_zpscp6siesb.jpg"/></a>

 

[powderhound]

Looks like red turf algea, hard to get rid of. Only thing i found that eats it are pincushion urchins.

 

[karimwassef]

Mine do eat it, but they also bulldoze and rip everything up.

 

[karimwassef]

Turf is more wiry though.. This is soft spongy..

 

[karimwassef]

Also comes off with a spongy base, not in tufts.

 

[tzylak]

I think that I have a little bit of that too.
Now I am curious of remedies on eradicating it. . . Or at least stop its spread.

 

[karimwassef]

I think it's actually pretty- like a sponge. It rarely competes with my coral since it's a shadow lover.

I can peel it off in a fleshy mass, so removal is easy and it grows very slowly.