Chaetomorpha linum

[edit] Overview

A green, hairlike marine alga, Chaetomorpha linum forms dense masses of tangled strands that provide haven for myriad small invertebrates.

Aquarists have discovered its usefulness, placing it in well-lit sumps or refugia, where it grows prolifically, extracting dissolved organic wastes from the water and acting as a spawning ground for desirable crustaceans such as amphipods.

It is replacing Caulerpa spp. macroalgae for such uses, being more productive and banned in states such as California, where Caulerpa is feared as a potential invasive species in coastal areas.

[edit] Notes

From The Seaweeds of India:
Chaetomorpha linum is one of the more delicate forms of green alga. It resembles straight green or yellowish hair, sometimes white towards the ends of the filaments if spores or gametes have been released; filaments are unbranched, usually between 5 and 30 cm (2 - 12 in) long,and frequently grow in groups of hundreds or thousands of individuals in sandy area on rocks or around tide pool; plant composed of loosely entangled, unattached filaments, yellowish green, somewhat stiff and curled; cylindrical or the cells slightly swollen, 100 - 375 µ diam., 1 - 2 (0.75 - 5.0) diameters long.

Distribution : Gujarat, Malvan, Ratnagiri, (Maharashtra), Goa, Karwar, Honawar, Bhatkal (Karnataka)

Ecological status : Interidal (supralittoral)

Uses: Food, animal feed and agricultural From: nio.org

Category: Species