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Botryocladia occidentalis |
Botryocladia is a truly beautiful specimen that does very well in the marine aquarium. It features stiff, lightly calcified branches with fluid filled air bladders to stay upright. It resembles a cluster of grapes and so is sometimes referred to as Red Grape Caulerpa, although its not related. It's found in different forms worldwide but the dominant species here in Florida is Botryocladia occidentalis. The algae can grow quite large in its natural environment to about 12" in diameter. The plant is anchored by a single holdfast to hard bottom, ledges and on artificial reefs and is found to depths of about 65'. It can be a sensitive algae to keep in the aquarium and requires a stable alkalinity, good flow and overall excellent water quality to survive. The plant is highly palatable to fish. |
That was my first thought, but all the Botryocladia occidentalis I've had have a rigid stem and tends to grow into a tree like shape?? This algae however is soft and bushy, no more than a inch tall on my LFS's rock. It almost feel gelatinous when I was picking out the GHA attached (I gave up).
Botryocladia occidentalis
Botryocladia is a truly beautiful specimen that does very well in the marine aquarium. It features stiff, lightly calcified branches with fluid filled air bladders to stay upright. It resembles a cluster of grapes and so is sometimes referred to as Red Grape Caulerpa, although its not related. It's found in different forms worldwide but the dominant species here in Florida is Botryocladia occidentalis. The algae can grow quite large in its natural environment to about 12" in diameter. The plant is anchored by a single holdfast to hard bottom, ledges and on artificial reefs and is found to depths of about 65'. It can be a sensitive algae to keep in the aquarium and requires a stable alkalinity, good flow and overall excellent water quality to survive. The plant is highly palatable to fish.
i'll look more into that, the guide on GCE's website doesn't seem to include this algae.If it is slippery and feels gelatinous then it is a type of Halymenia. (Dragons Breath).
What about Coelarthrum sp. ? looks much alike to the string of pearl algaeIf it is slippery and feels gelatinous then it is a type of Halymenia. (Dragons Breath).
I am not familiar with that. Try this browserWhat about Coelarthrum sp. ? looks much alike to the string of pearl algae
Cool stuff, I went to Algae Base further and I decided it's probably a Scinaia sp.I am not familiar with that. Try this browser
i'll look more into that, the guide on GCE's website doesn't seem to include this algae.
I did some further research and I think its a Chamaebotrys sp. Perhaps C. proliferus.This is what is sometimes called dragons breath:
Marine Plants in the Aquarium
macroalgae, marine plants, caulerpa, refugium substrate, marine macroalgae for salewww.marineplantbook.com
Very interesting, do you have real ocean-source live rock? This is definitely not botrycladia or dragon breath and I don't think this specie is being sold commercially in the hobby.I was excited to see the first response because I've been wondering what this is that has turned up spontaneously in both my quarantine tank and overflow box ... then I read about six different responses. Vernacular names are always sketchy, but for whatever it's worth it sure doesn't resemble what I've bought in the past as "dragon's breath".
I ocean sourced my (Marshall Is) live rock 30 years ago and I hadn't seen this stuff in the DT until I cleaned the overflow box last week and found it there. It keeps popping up in the QT, which runs constantly, months ago. It must have hitchhiked with some coastal Florida Cryptonemia that I quarantined nearly a year ago.Very interesting, do you have real ocean-source live rock? This is definitely not botrycladia or dragon breath and I don't think this specie is being sold commercially in the hobby.
I have also observed that tiny sprouts are popping out on my rock and frag mount, just be advised that they could potentially be invasive but they seems pretty easy to remove.
Very interesting, so after all it's a native specie. How's the Cryptonemia doing, I had trouble keeping the from whiting up and melt off, any tricks?I ocean sourced my (Marshall Is) live rock 30 years ago and I hadn't seen this stuff in the DT until I cleaned the overflow box last week and found it there. It keeps popping up in the QT, which runs constantly, months ago. It must have hitchhiked with some coastal Florida Cryptonemia that I quarantined nearly a year ago.