A very popular species of Caulerpa for refugiums and or display in the marine aquarium. It features long, erect, feather shaped blades that form a somewhat rounded tip. The coloration varies, but is typically a light green shade. This species grows very quickly and can be problematic in some reef aquaria, as it can quickly take over the aquascape. It’s palatable to many fish and inverts, so is an excellent choice as a food source because of it’s fast growth. It prefers to grow on rocks and hard surfaces rather than sand, but it’s quite adaptable to grow in almost any environment. It has an interesting habit of climbing up the sides of an aquarium and rocks as a vine would. Sertulariodes is one of only a few species of Caulerpa that typically grows close to shore, but can be found growing sparsely to depths of about 50ft.
Scientific Name: Caulerpa sertulariodes
Common Name: Feather Algae, Fern Algae
Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Caribbean
Depth Collected: 5 -20 Feet
Maximum Height : 8″
Growth Rate: Fast
Light: Moderate
Temperature: 78-86
Propagation: Fragmentation, sporulation
Difficulty: Easy
Food Value: Palatable to both fish and invertebrates
Nutrient Uptake: Excellent
Flow Rate: Low to Moderate