Acetabularia sp.

Acetabularia is an interesting and attractive species of green algae. It features a lightly calcified stem that hosts a single disc like appendage. They're of few subspecies of this algae found in tropical waters worldwide, some with more pronounced cup shaped tops with varying shades of green coloration. When removed from the water, care must be taken as the tops are attached to very thin stems and will often break off. Snails and hermit crabs can also damage it's fragile tissue. Specimens grow in very shallow, protected environments attached to shells, mangrove roots, seawalls and other hard substrate. Harvest from the wild is a challenge so most are collected attached to small shells. This species requires a brightly lit, protected area to grow successfully in the aquarium. It's moderately calcified, so calcium supplementation is needed. Sadly, the lifespan of this particular macro algae is short lived in the aquarium.

Scientific Name: Acetabularia sp.

Common Name: Mermaids Wine Glass

Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Caribbean

Depth Collected: 1-10 Feet

Maximum Height : 4"

Growth Rate: Slow

Light: High

Temperature: 78-86

Propagation: Fragmentation, Sporulation

Difficulty: Advanced

Food Value: Not Very Palatable

Nutrient Uptake: Poor

Flow Rate: Low

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