Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Bob Goemans corresponds with Dave Paschick

Dave Paschick writes...

Hi Bob,

I wonder if you can help me identify a macroalgae in my aquarium? It's reddish in color and seems to be somewhat brittle. It reminds me of a Holly plant and growing rather slowly. I moved it from my 75 gallon to my 240 gallon reef tank and it's doing well, however my Hippo Tang likes to nibble on it occasionally, but my Yellow Tang is not interested. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dave Paschick

Bob replies...

Hi Dave,

Have spent almost 10 hours of my time over the past couple of weeks on trying to ID this alga. After going to four well-known 'icons' in the trade, there remains some conflicting thoughts, nevertheless after much discussion think it to be Sargassum polyphyllum, which comes in many different forms and colors, and is tough and leathery. And when looking at the leaf form, this genus/species in your aquarium seems to fit the bill quite closely. So,...with that said, that's as much as I can do.

Bob

Keywords:

Algae Identification

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