Different species of filamentous green algae in the reef aquarium
I don't claim to be any kind of expert on the subject, just making some observations and I would appreciate it if we can expand on the subject if anyone has anything they would like to add.
Green hair algae ( GHA) is a term that is applied very loosely in this hobby. What hobbyist typically refer to as green hair algae is very thin, easy to pull apart, and clumps (hard to separate into individual strands) in and out of water. There is no noticeable root structure. It is difficult to see any sort of chain like quality to the individual strands which appear more thread like to the naked eye. Here are some pictures of what I believe to be typical green hair algae (perhaps a Derbesia sp. ?)
Species A
In water (coming off the frag plug, any other algae in the picture may be a or b)
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Out of water
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In biology, the term "hair" is just a replacement for filamentous*, and filamentous algae is a term that describes a wide range of green algae.
*Filamentous algae are single algae cells that form long visible chains, threads, or filaments. These filaments intertwine forming a mat that resembles wet wool.
Further, there are two commonly encountered species of Bryopsis that have different macro features: B. pennata and B. plumosa
Both have a wider, thicker midrib and noticeably thinner branches. B. plumosa has more symmetrical, evenly distributed branches and is more easily identified by the aquarist who is looking for "fern like" features, while B. pennata has more sparse, irregular branches.
Here are some pictures of what I believe to be either Bryopsis pennata or a less common Bryopsis or Derbesia species that is difficult to eliminate from the aquarium. Note that the strands are thick and coarse, easily separated, and a chain-like structure can be seen with the naked eye and more clearly with the help of a magnifying glass. There is a noticeable root structure.
Species B
In water
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Out of water
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Side by side (Sp A: left, Sp B: right)
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If anyone can confirm any genus or species level identification of species A or B, has any thing they would like to add, including anecdotal information from experience or research, please feel free. I'm not an expert by any means and these attempts to categorize/identify these species of algae are inferences based on research and very little experience dealing with them in the aquarium.
Also feel free to add more picture of green filamentous algae labeled in order of starting with Species C and what kind of algae you think it is.
All comments are welcome
Thanks for reading
I don't claim to be any kind of expert on the subject, just making some observations and I would appreciate it if we can expand on the subject if anyone has anything they would like to add.
Green hair algae ( GHA) is a term that is applied very loosely in this hobby. What hobbyist typically refer to as green hair algae is very thin, easy to pull apart, and clumps (hard to separate into individual strands) in and out of water. There is no noticeable root structure. It is difficult to see any sort of chain like quality to the individual strands which appear more thread like to the naked eye. Here are some pictures of what I believe to be typical green hair algae (perhaps a Derbesia sp. ?)
Species A
In water (coming off the frag plug, any other algae in the picture may be a or b)
Out of water
In biology, the term "hair" is just a replacement for filamentous*, and filamentous algae is a term that describes a wide range of green algae.
*Filamentous algae are single algae cells that form long visible chains, threads, or filaments. These filaments intertwine forming a mat that resembles wet wool.
Further, there are two commonly encountered species of Bryopsis that have different macro features: B. pennata and B. plumosa
Both have a wider, thicker midrib and noticeably thinner branches. B. plumosa has more symmetrical, evenly distributed branches and is more easily identified by the aquarist who is looking for "fern like" features, while B. pennata has more sparse, irregular branches.
Here are some pictures of what I believe to be either Bryopsis pennata or a less common Bryopsis or Derbesia species that is difficult to eliminate from the aquarium. Note that the strands are thick and coarse, easily separated, and a chain-like structure can be seen with the naked eye and more clearly with the help of a magnifying glass. There is a noticeable root structure.
Species B
In water
Out of water
Side by side (Sp A: left, Sp B: right)
If anyone can confirm any genus or species level identification of species A or B, has any thing they would like to add, including anecdotal information from experience or research, please feel free. I'm not an expert by any means and these attempts to categorize/identify these species of algae are inferences based on research and very little experience dealing with them in the aquarium.
Also feel free to add more picture of green filamentous algae labeled in order of starting with Species C and what kind of algae you think it is.
All comments are welcome
Thanks for reading
And how big is your tank.I don't want to even think that I will have to do it.
