Gracilaria tikvahiae

Species of Gracilaria are highly variable depending on the environment collected, which can make proper identification very difficult. I collect many species of gracilaria but several species have never been properly identified.

This particular species features flattened, irregular shaped branches attached by a single holdfast to hard bottom. It grows in offshore environments from about 25 - 50ft. It's very abundant on almost any artificial reef structure in the Gulf of Mexico. It's by far the most attractive ornamental species of gracilaria for the marine aquarium. Species of G. tikvahiae can also be found as free floating specimens, lacking any holdfast, composed of a large circular clump. Specimens can grow quite large, up to 18" in diameter. This particular species is very palatable to tangs and angels as well as other herbivores. 

Scientific Name: Gracilaria tikvahiae

Common Name: Red Gracilaria

Origin: Gulf of Mexico. Atlantic, Caribbean

Maximum Height : 16"

Growth Rate: Moderate

Light: Moderate to High

Temperature: 78-86

Propagation: Fragmentation, Sporulation

Difficulty: Easy

Food Value: Palatable

Nutrient Uptake: Good

Flow Rate: Moderate 

Copyright © 2024 GCE All rights reserved. No part of this online publication may be reproduced in any form by any means without the expressed permission of the author. All images are the property of Gulf Coast Ecosystems unless otherwise noted and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.