Grape caulerpa? (C. racemosa?)

[hdtran]

Would one of the eminent biologists kindly confirm whether or not I have a variety of Grape Caulerpa (conjecture is C. racemosa)?

Hitchhiking algae on aquacultured FL LR, consumed to nothingness by my ever hungry pig-of-a-tang, and only a small sample survives in the HOB refugium.

Thanks!

Hy

 

[Anonymous]

I suck at IDing algae but I'll give it a shot.
Considering this is Gulf of Mexico rock and since for the moment we think this a species of Caulerpa I would venture to say this looks more like C. peltata than C. racemosa. I hope you know that at the moment there are 319 species of Caulerpa though only 79 are considered to be current.

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[hdtran]

Peltata sounds good to me.

Once you pointed me to "Peltata," I found several web references to C. racemosa v. peltata (not to mention C. peltata). Pictures are definitely much closer than plain old C. racemosa!

Thanks!

Hy

p.s. 319 species of which only 79 are current? What did the other species do, forget to mail in their renewal applications?

 

[ThrillYa]

I was just about to post the same question about some algae in my tank. After reading the responses I found a pic online of Caulerpa peltata but I'm still not sure they are the same (http://www.com.univ-mrs.fr/IRD/atollpol ... algrec.htm).

Anymore suggestions or is mine Caulerpa peltata for sure?

 

[hdtran]

Thrillya,

Your Caulerpa and my Caulerpa are the same

Try http://www.iptek.net.id/eng/cakra_alga/ ... .php?id=14

for a second opinion...

 

[ThrillYa]

Thanks for the link hdtran.

So, have you decided if you want to keep this stuff around or not? Mine is in my main tank so I'm wondering. If it where in my refugium I wouldn't worry but...

 

[hdtran]

Thrillya,

I'd keep it in my main tank except that my main (and only) tang eats it all up!

Hy

 

[Anonymous]

Lots of folks don't like Caulerpa for a couple reasons--one is the possibility of it going sexual, which I've never had happen but seems to occur a lot. The other is the possibility of Caulerpa releasing compounds detrimental to corals. I read something online by Borneman about this once, you may want to check it out.

 

[ThrillYa]

Thanks for the aditional info Matt. I'll check it out. I've got lots of grape Caulerpa in my refugium and have had it for 14 months or so with no problems but I'm always interested in what the pros have to say.

 

[jims47]

I read in a post (somewhere,slips my 53 yr mind at the moment) that if you trim them back once a mo it will stop it from going sexual, don't know if true or not, but thought I would through it out, seems it stops some sort of cycle.