What R these globules?

[scat]

 

[horge]

Hi!

Pic's not quite clear enough for ID if it's an alga, and there's no size reference. How big is each li'l globule?

Does it change shape/contract, and how soft is it?

 

[scat]

3-7mm in diameter

My "focus free" camera is very good at focusing on the front of the tank, no on the objects. That aweful pictures was actually the least crappy of four. The individual globules range from about 3mm to 7mm in diameter. It came on some live rock, and at first was just two little "globs". I hope this helps. Steve

 

[horge]

Probably a harmless marine red alga of some sort.
Without a clearer pic...

 

[NaH2O]

gosh, it really is hard to say...

I'll take a couple of guesses:

Tunicates? - These pictures aren't the same color as what you have, however, you can get the idea of what their structure is and compare

Red Valonia? - Scroll down to the 9th picture

 

[horge]

Hi Nikki,

There was no mention of movement (which would be the case with some disturbance), so it might not be clustered tunicates, but that's a good possibility to bring up

I doubt it's any of the Botryocladia ('Red Valonia') species --no visible stipe, and the 'globule' sizes are a bit small, but hey, anything's possible with camera angle and distance


Hadn't seen that RK article in ages....

but, for comparison
B. skottsbergii :

B. uvarioides:

horge

 

[NaH2O]

horge - good call on the movement, and I really don't see any siphons. What is throwing me off is it appears to be translucent. Scat, do any of these algaes posted look similar? Gosh, it is more like a blob.... Well, there you go - positive ID = Unknownicus blobimus

 

[scat]

New Development.

Nikki and Horge,

I want to thank you for your input. I thought it was Botryocladia skottsbergii, from the 9th picture on Nikki's link, but when I saw Horge's second picture, I changed my opinion. I always thought this stuff had a very dense cluster and stalk system, almost like cauliflower. The cluster started growing more rapidly when I turned off my skimmer (don't ask, it is an experiment). Yesterday, the cluster broke free. I took two more pictures, but they are from the water surface. Because the picture is “front-lit”, the globules look less translucent and fluorescent than they would look from the front of the tank. One the second picture, I “circled” the whitish area where the stalk attached to the rock. Please note that the intense white areas outside the circle are where the blobs contact the surface of the water, causing it to “sheen” and reflect the light. At this point, the stuff is floating around on top of the water. I’m thinking of getting some small diameter stainless round stock to hold it back down to a rock, in an area of the tank that has less current. Please don’t look at the background in the pictures….it is frightening. Thanks again for your input, Steve

 

[horge]

Much better photo.
I believe it's Predaea
P. tumescens most likely, and a vividly-colored specimen too.
Below is a good-sized specimen --yours would be but a fraction of it.

(apologies to Chris Lobban, from whose UOG website the photo comes)

I'd try to anchor it too, but lightly. Any contact point on the alga will do. Worth a try for such a good-looking alga.
Can I have your permission to use your photos for an online article?

If you're willing, I'd appreciate a PM giving me the name you want your photo credited to (in the prior photos I posted), the photographer's name is indicated lower right.



hth

 

[NaH2O]

Wow, horge! Good call!!