Algae ID growing from rocks red... sticks?

[starypotter]

Hi everyone,
I have this algae growing on my rock, does anyone recognize what it might be the start of? Some of the bigger ones are starting to fork.

 

[ndrwater]

Looks like Bryopsis. Get it out while you can
Grows fast and become very invasive

 

[starypotter]

Looks like Bryopsis. Get it out while you can
Grows fast and become very invasive

I'll get a better picture in the daylight tomorrow, it's definitely not bryopsis because I had some in my DT and am in the middle of treating because of it so I have a good handle on what it looks like. This is significantly thicker and looks like it would be fairly sturdy. Though with that said I did see a sprig of it in there (this is my frag QT) and will need to handle that as well. I see now from an outside perspective that it's pretty hard to tell what's what in the picture as I do have some other nuisance algae growing right along with it that's mixing up the picture. This stuff almost looks like Galaxaura Sp., maybe Gracilaria Parvisipora from https://www.marineplantbook.com/marineplantbookredalgae.htm

 

[cristata.reef]

I'll get a better picture in the daylight tomorrow, it's definitely not bryopsis because I had some in my DT and am in the middle of treating because of it so I have a good handle on what it looks like. This is significantly thicker and looks like it would be fairly sturdy. Though with that said I did see a sprig of it in there (this is my frag QT) and will need to handle that as well. I see now from an outside perspective that it's pretty hard to tell what's what in the picture as I do have some other nuisance algae growing right along with it that's mixing up the picture. This stuff almost looks like Galaxaura Sp., maybe Gracilaria Parvisipora from https://www.marineplantbook.com/marineplantbookredalgae.htm

Not Galaxaura which is a species of branching coralline algae. I'll wait for the daylight pic to make an ID

 

[starypotter]

I can't believe how different the whole tank looks without the light on. I have a bulb clamped on to the tank since it's my coral QT so nothing fancy, and my mom always flicks the light on in the morning before I wake up, and I turn it off after it's dark so I never noticed just how different it looks in there with natural lights only!
The algae wasn't red at all, I feel like I've been bamboozled It's thicker than any sort of GHA and holds it's shape out of water

 

[cristata.reef]

Could be cladophora, but the rounded tips remind me of Valonia (same genus as the dreaded bubble algae)

 

[starypotter]

Could be cladophora, but the rounded tips remind me of Valonia (same genus as the dreaded bubble algae)

So as with google you never really know what you're looking at, but a lot of the cladophora pictures I'm seeing seem a bit more fine? But again who knows if it's actually a picture of that or not. It doesn't seem bubbly yet so fingers crossed.

 

[cristata.reef]

Just keep in mind that Cladophora is a genus meaning it is comprised of multiple species. However on second thought you may be right. I was probably thinking of Cladophoropsis (maybe C. membranacea)

 

[starypotter]

Just keep in mind that Cladophora is a genus meaning it is comprised of multiple species. However on second thought you may be right. I was probably thinking of Cladophoropsis (maybe C. membranacea)

Oh well that's something to keep in mind. Do you know of any preferred sites that have the different species?

 

[cristata.reef]

Not really. I mean if you're willing to read lots of articles with heavy scientific jargon and the occasional page in a foreign language feel free to check out AlgaeBase. I use WoRMS for a lot of my taxonomic work so I found you a link for the confirmed species in the genus http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=144263. Good luck finding pictures for reference, algae isn't exactly something people love to take pics of

 

[starypotter]

Oh gosh I think I'd rather just let it take over than to read some of the articles I came across so far. If it gets worse or problematic I'll consider looking into more details...

 

[cristata.reef]

Emerald crab might go after it. Urchins definitely will but can be destructive and like to eat coralline

 

[Actup85]

Yea definitely looks like caulerpa I think I can see the little round bubbles on the base of some stems fox face will eat it up

 

[starypotter]

Emerald crab might go after it. Urchins definitely will but can be destructive and like to eat coralline

I was thinking of getting them anyway so I'll give it a shot.

 

[cristata.reef]

Yea definitely looks like caulerpa I think I can see the little round bubbles on the base of some stems fox face will eat it up

These are most definitely not caulerpa

 

[starypotter]

These are most definitely not caulerpa

Doesn't have bubbles either I think it's just gunk or something in the picture.

 

[Actup85]

Yea dont see them now looking at it again and missed the part where it holds shape out of water .kinda looks like runner tubes going up or something maybe some kind of sponge?

 

[starypotter]

Yea dont see them now looking at it again and missed the part where it holds shape out of water .kinda looks like runner tubes going up or something maybe some kind of sponge?

Not sure about what you mean by running tubes but it's for sure an algae sort of deal, plugs off the rock, growing only in the 'sunny' areas so it seems to check out. I've got some tube like sponges too as a comparison but all of my sponges tend to grow on the underside shaded areas.

took some more pics, it sort of squishes a little when you squeeze it and you can squeeze the pigmentation out almost?

 

[cristata.reef]

Yea dont see them now looking at it again and missed the part where it holds shape out of water .kinda looks like runner tubes going up or something maybe some kind of sponge?

Sponges are transparent since they are made largely out of a collagen-based substance called spongin

 

[Actup85]

The tubes are transparent in 2nd pic