Help identifying unusual algae.

[135zman]

Please help me ID the unusual algae in this picture. It looks like some sort of coralline algae shaped like a tumbleweed. It isn’t anchored to any surface and gets blown around the tank. Its doubled in size in the last few months. I don’t know how it got started in my tank since I didn’t use live rock. Every once in a while my pink spotted watchman goby picks it up in its mouth and takes it to its cave area and then a few days later I see it in the back of the tank again. Just curious...

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Spent several hours trying find something on Google but couldn't do it. I've had this in my tank before too. It never lasted long but is pretty nice looking and never hurt anything.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Blue Ochtodes macro algae

 

[135zman]

Blue Ochtodes macro algae

Thank you for the feedback.

 

[cristata.reef]

Not Ochtodes which usually displays some degree of iridescence. This is a type of thin branching coralline algae like Jania. Species ID can be rather difficult without a) knowing exactly where it was collected and b) looking into microscopic features of its growth structure. However for all practical purposes, just keep calc, alk, and mag stable and it'll grow out nicely

 

[135zman]

I appreciate the feedback.