algae ID please

[a1Matt]

I have no idea what this is. It just started growing out the wood. It is squidgy to touch. If you pull it, it stretches. It pinches off of the wood easily enough, but I like it so have let it keep growing. The pic is about 3 months old, at the time of taking it, it had been growing for a few weeks.

Paulo ID'ed it an algae (thanks). Does anyone know which one?...


(full size here)

PS Ignore the BBA, I put in some ramshorsn recently, so that will be all cleared up in a few weeks or so

 

[George Farmer]

Never seen anything like it! Could it be fungi?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I think it might be fungal as well, as it doesn't appear to have any photosynthetic pigments. I have no idea of what type of fungus, although I know some-one who might have some idea and I'll inquire.

cheers Darrel

 

[a1Matt]

Thanks Darrel, that is kind of you.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I spoken to Malcolm Storey, the owner and proprietor of the remarkable "Bioimages". He has replied.

Hi Darrel,
Looks like spore tendrils from a coelomycete stage of an ascomycete that’s growing buried in the wood. They should dissolve into slime when wetted.

The usual one quoted is the Libertella stage of Quaternaria quaternata:

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/r151987.htm

The shape depends on growing conditions; the colour, on species. Some are reddish.

HTH
Malcolm

I've quite often seen the "perfect stage" of this fungus on Beech etc., but never this one.

cheers Darrel

 

[mlgt]

Great find. It was alwasy interesting to see the fungus appear like that underwater.

Reminds me of something from World of Warcraft when I used to play it

 

[a1Matt]

Thanks Darrel. Interesting stuff.

Once the wood is cleaned of BBA I will get some more pics of it posted up.