ID this thing?

[Malefactor]

I have no clue what this is. It's on a piece of live rock i really like. Came with the mushrooms, some nice algae and micro algae as well as feather dusters of all different colors from blue, red, black, yellow and white. Then this just started popping up. The specked half cup looking thing. Is it some type of sponge? Or a micro algae i haven't seen identified or even a coral frag that's started growing that was unexpected?

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[franklypre]

macro algae

 

[Malefactor]

Any idea what kind? It is rather nice and pretty. I might have to look for more of it.

 

[melev]

Maybe Padina. http://www.melevsreef.com/node/453

 

[Malefactor]

This is what it turned into. Still no clue what it is... But it is pretty.

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[Eckolancer]

Maybe dragons breath algae


Sent from pay phone in the airport.

 

[Malefactor]

Its definately not dragons breath. I had some of that, but my tangs ate it all. Tangs wont touch this one

 

[Jochoa]

Bryopsis maybe..

 

[texasswangin214]

Yea I have something similar on a frag plug it reminds me of certain scoll macros

 

[texasswangin214]

Mine is similar in color but not in shape. Mine grows more like padina, and padinas generally have coralline on them that give it the look simillar to yours

 

[Malefactor]

This doesnt look like Padina. Its got that mottled color, but soft. And the mottled color is natural. Not something growing on it. Its all flowy and not calcified at all. Its very "plant like" as opposed to most SW algae ive seen.

 

[Malefactor]

EUREKA!!! I believe i have found it... "Rose Petal Macroalgae". It's apparently a VERY rare macro from Fiji... Looks like there's only a couple of shops online that even sell it, and all but 1 is sold out. Averages about $22 / inch for grow out.... Sooo, i might have to just cultivate this thing for others in the local area to enjoy. It really is pretty and like it's name suggests. It looks like a rose. The same wavy folded appearance and shape. I need to get a better pic when the water isn't moving it around so much... Now to find out how to clip and move it... It's getting a little too big and shading too much in it's current area as there are corals attached to that rock it's grown out of.

 

[texasswangin214]

I saw that to on lareefs wasn't sure if that was it but definitely could be

 

[Malefactor]

yeah, that's one of the pics i saw, and i can't find the other i saw last night. However there's one store in India that had a MUCH better picture that looks 100% identical to what i've got.