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Plant (?) identification - NAME FOUND - Caloglossa!

killi69

Member
Joined
8 May 2009
Messages
346
Location
Milton Keynes
Hi there,

I have noticed an interesting plant(?) growing in between some ferns and wood at the back of the tank, about one third from the surface. At first it looked like a clump of algea but I think its actually a plant. I moved a little towards the front of some Microsorium p. Trident to take a picture.
20121021_140343-1_zps5b335913.jpg

20121021_135840-1_zps6757615b.jpg


It does not seem invasive. Does anyone know what it is?

Regards,

Andre
 
Hi Mark,

Thank you very much for your reply. I looked up Potamogeton pectinatus and agree that it does look very similar. However, the plant in my tank does not seem to have any stems, I need to have a closer look when I get back home at the end of the week.

Your identification led me to this site which contains some useful pictures of P. pectinatus and names some other Potamogeton species which also look very similar - r o b i n 's y a r d: Potamogeton pectinatus;
Potamogeton pectinatus, also known as Stuckenia pectinata, is a cosmopolitan aquatic plant with very thin leaves that is found in lakes and rivers, usually forming dense floating mats on the water surface. It is commonly known as ribbon-weed or fennel pond-weed.

There are many species with thin leaves within the genus Potamogeton, including P. acutifolius, P. berchtoldii, P. compressus, P. trichoides and P. pusillus, a diversity which requires great expertise for their identification.

potamogeton+pectinatus+16.JPG


potamogeton+pectinatus+08.JPG

Thanks again for your post,

Andre
 
It looks like a type of red algae to me. It doesn't seem to have the leaf ans stem structure of a higher plant. It looks nice though and I'd try tying it down onto some wood or rock like moss and see how it develops.
 
I think its some type of utricularia. I think I can see bladders in the pic
 
It looks like a type of red algae to me. It doesn't seem to have the leaf ans stem structure of a higher plant. It looks nice though and I'd try tying it down onto some wood or rock like moss and see how it develops.
I think its some type of utricularia. I think I can see bladders in the pic
Any chance of another pic, spread out so we can see it's structure
Thanks guys for your feedback. Sorry for the delay - I posted the above while on holiday and it took a while to get settled back in.

I separated some strands from one of the clumps this evening and took some pics;
20130110_200338.jpg

20130110_200228-1.jpg

So definitely no stems. Any ideas of what this might be??

It looks nice though and I'd try tying it down onto some wood or rock like moss and see how it develops.
I moved part of the clump towards the front (the original clump sits on the other side of the fern, out of view towards the back) and wedged it underneath the bolbitis.
20130110_200801.jpg

Also, it would be great to know whether the algae growing in green tufts on the left of the wood is invasive, ie will it spread and grow on plants and/or will it grow into long strands, or will it only grow in compact tufts on wood - I kind of like the look of it as it is at the moment.

Looking forward to hearing your views!

Regards,

Andre
 
it would be great to know whether the algae growing in green tufts on the left of the wood is invasive
I have this in my low tech setups, it can grow very big and will grow on plants if it can attach to them, but grows outwards in a nice ball, at first I thought it was the stuff those algae balls are made off, but seems slightly different.

You can see it growing here at the front of the rocks:
p1070285x.jpg
 
that green algae does look cool.. no idea what it is though, overshadowed slightly by that beautiful killi. How long did you wait for that pic :lol:
Hehe, you know what, I didn't - honest! When I try to take a picture of a fish however, then its a different matter. Maybe the trick is to focus on the plants next time;)
 
I have this in my low tech setups, it can grow very big and will grow on plants if it can attach to them, but grows outwards in a nice ball, at first I thought it was the stuff those algae balls are made off, but seems slightly different. You can see it growing here at the front of the rocks
Thanks Paulo, that is really useful. I like the look of the 'algae balls', they go really well with the stones and other plants in your set-up. Now I see how it grows, I recognise it as I regularly pull clumps of the larger stuff out of my tank. I didn't realise it was the same thing. I like them as small tuffs but am less keen on them when they grow more longer and 'cloud like' clumps on the wood. I also have algae 'hair strands' growing on plant leaves in various places in the tank, not sure if its the same algae or not, but maybe I should remove all of it in case it is the same...
 
Hi all,
I don't know what it is, but it certainly looks really intriguing. I think it must be a vascular plant rather than a Red Algae (which was my first thought as well), because it seems to have roots growing from the nodes. A Najas sp. would be my guess, maybe N. japonica or N. minor? but its growth pattern doesn't look right.
that green algae does look cool.
I like it it as well, may be a Cladophora sp., as it looks quite spiky, and Cladophora feels slightly gritty to the touch, whilst a lot of other green algae are "slimy".

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks guys for your feedback. Sorry for the delay - I posted the above while on holiday and it took a while to get settled back in.

I separated some strands from one of the clumps this evening and took some pics;
20130110_200338.jpg

20130110_200228-1.jpg

So definitely no stems. Any ideas of what this might be??


I moved part of the clump towards the front (the original clump sits on the other side of the fern, out of view towards the back) and wedged it underneath the bolbitis.
20130110_200801.jpg

Also, it would be great to know whether the algae growing in green tufts on the left of the wood is invasive, ie will it spread and grow on plants and/or will it grow into long strands, or will it only grow in compact tufts on wood - I kind of like the look of it as it is at the moment.

Looking forward to hearing your views!

Regards,

Andre
Hi Andre
If you have some of this plant can I have a bit please.
Regards
Alan
 
I give you some if you tell me its name o_O

Only joking Alan, you have given me some lovely & rare plants for my tank, so I will be happy to pull you out a piece for you to grown on. It will only be a small little piece, mind you, as it grows really slow.
 
I posted a thread on a Dutch aquatic plant website and found out its name! It's called Caloglossa, possibly Caloglossa beccarii.

Its an algae and a couple of the Dutch guys have/ have had it growing in their tanks. While some had experienced an invasion, others found it did not spread and enjoyed keeping a clump of it here and there. I did a Google image search and found this Polish thread; Podkarpackie Forum Akwarystyczne :: Zobacz temat - Caloglossa Cf. Beccarii where someone has found a brilliant application for this plant/algae, very inspiring;


Thank you to those who tried to identify this plant/algae.
 
Hi all,
It's called Caloglossa, possibly Caloglossa beccarii.
Excellent, it is a Red Algae then like Ed suggested, and the "roots" are "rhizoidal filaments". I really like it.

It looks like it is "euryhaline" as well, so excellent for those with hard, salty water like London tap <http://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Rhodophyceae/Macroreds/CALOGLOSSA/Caloglossa_key.htm> or brackish aquariums, it is a good find.

Ps: I've just read that our own"Plantbrain" collected some in California, so Tom maybe to tell us more.

cheers Darrel
 
Thanks Darrel, let's hope it grows and I can share some out one day. And, yes, Ed was right about the red algae - and how good it can look tied to wood or a piece of rock! I think I remember 'reading' (Google translate!) something on the Polish website I referred to about Tom Barr collecting this in California. .
 
Excellent Identity of this plant and really impressed with the growth. From a distance it almost looks like a brown fissiden :)
 
Hi all,
and how good it can look tied to wood or a piece of rock!
In the link it says
Common on mangrove roots and salt marsh plants, as well as on limestone, wood pilings, and other solid surfaces.
So it looks like it should attach itself. I also think as a red algae not much will eat it, unless it eats BBA (another Red) like SAE or Nerite snails.

cheers Darrel
 
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