Algae of the genus Anadyomene are veined fans. They are quite beautiful, but rarely survive in aquarium life.
Order: Dasycladales
---->Family: Dasycladaceae
------> Genus: Neomeris
-------->Species: annulata & van-bosseae.
Neomeris grow as a group of upright short, stubby, green-tip shaped fingers that have white calcified rings that encircle a majority of the lower part of their plates. N. annulata is sometimes referred to as Caterpillar Weed, and the tips of N. annulata have a fuzzy appearance because of the many fine hairs that cover them.
-->Order: Codiales
---->Family: Codiaceae
------> Genus: Codium
-------->Species: decoricatum, fragile, intricatum, tomentosum, vermilara, & many others.
Codium are usually dark green in color, sometimes almost appearing black, with a velvety or fuzzy, sometimes bead-like surface, and have a rubbery or spongy texture. Even though they grow in different forms, most are referred to as Finger macroalgae. They can either have a simple branching structure or a more complex one.
The genus Codium is very diverse and found in waters worldwide, with many genetically similar sub-species relatives that have a "weedy" quality. Therefore, some of these sub-species are considered to be "invasive" plants. A good example of this is with the C. fragile species, or what is referred to as Sea Staghorn or Dead Man's Fingers. C. fragile is commonly found along the California coastline and other West Coast waters of the United States, and is considered a non-weedy marine algae. However, because of the morphology of C. fragile, the C. fragile ssp. tomentosoides has invasive weedy characteristics. ssp. tomentosoides has received a lot of attention, as it seems to be appearing in waters wherever the C. fragile species resides. It has also been observed and studied along East Coast waters of the U.S. and many other locations around the globe.
In closing our series on the Chlorophyta Phylum, our next article will address nuisance green alga such as Bryopsis, Derbesia and other filamentous or matting types that can overun an aquarium, along with the sea lettuce species Ulva.
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