Red Sponges in Overflow

[unchaotic]

Found two of these growing in my overflow like toadstool mushrooms on a tree. A little dense but growing outward with lots of lace-like branches. Some sort of sponge?

 

[DaJMasta]

What's the texture like? Could be a sponge, but it even could be a macroalgae if you have a little light getting in there.

If it's sort of slippery and well... spongy... then could be a sponge. If it's softer and those things look like individual sort of wine glass shapes, it could be colonial tunicates, but it could be a red macro that grows as sort of a short turf.

 

[unchaotic]

What's the texture like? Could be a sponge, but it even could be a macroalgae if you have a little light getting in there.

If it's sort of slippery and well... spongy... then could be a sponge. If it's softer and those things look like individual sort of wine glass shapes, it could be colonial tunicates, but it could be a red macro that grows as sort of a short turf.

It definitely has a spongy resistance when squished. The individual growths almost look like unfurling leaves. I wish I had my macro lens here to try to get a closer pic.

 

[wattson]

Garcialara macroalgae tufts it looks like​

 

[Mr_Knightley]

sponges have holes, this thing just looks like a bunch of folds. My bet is macroalgae, there are some weird ones out there.

 

[Sshannon]

I agree with @Mr_Knightley

 

[unchaotic]

Garcialara macroalgae tufts it looks like​

Got more pics including with a microscope. Seems like a match for gracilaria. I had some dragons breath but I thought that all died almost a year ago. I can't believe it managed to latch on in the overflow like that.

 

[madmarks]

Possibly Gracilaria Curtissae