Unknown plant in my aquarium!

[Gabriel Gustafsson]

Hi

I just found some kind of seaweed or something. Anyone has the ID? It was not there by purpose.

Can I grow it, is it good/bad? Any comments?

Best regards Gabriel

 

[abrooks12376]

Subwassertang, kind of moss I beieve.

 

[Gabriel Gustafsson]

Subwassertang, kind of moss I beieve.

This looks very similar indeed

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Subwassertang, kind of moss I beieve.

I agree it does look like "Susswassertang".

It was thought to be a Liverwort (like mosses in the Bryophyta), but DNA analysis has indicated that it is the gametophyte stage of a fern, and possibly a Lomariopsis sp., close to L. lineata.

So far no-one has induced it to grow its sporophyte stage (the bit we call a fern), so a definitive ID is still missing.

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

It's a great plant for breeding tanks, can grow in low lighting, and can even grow in brackish water up to 3 g/L (maybe higher)?
It does not cling to surfaces, so it's much easier to thin out than mosses. i use it in very small tanks with killies, Elassoma, Bettas, etc.

 

[Karin]

It looks like Monosolenium tenerum (Pellia) to me.

 

[gerald]

Monoselenium (= Pellia, a liverwort) has a midrib or vein through the center, often has rhizoids growing from the midrib, and a dichotomus branching pattern at the growing tips. It is relatively brittle and breaks when bent.

Lomariopsis (= Susswassertang, a fern) has no midrib, no rhizoids, more random growth structure (not regular dichotomus branching), and is softer and more flexible. I think this is what Gabriel has, based on no apparent midrib and rounded rather than dichotomus growth at tips. .

 

[Karin]

Thank you, Gerald, I will take a closer look at mine… always thought I had Monosolenium buy it might be Lomariopsis after all!

cheers

 

[Karin]

Hi all, this is how mine looks...
I guess Lomariopsis.

 

[gerald]

Need a close-up pic to be sure, but yes the overall appearance does look like Lomariopsis. In USA hobbyists called it "Round Pellia" before somebody figured out that it was really a fern gametophyte.