They’re many species of Caulerpa racemosa found worldwide. They can be highly variable in composition, which makes it difficult to properly identify each individual species without inspection of the cell structure under a microscope. This particular species of racemosa features a dark green color with tall branches composed of long clusters of cylindrical shaped fronds. It resembles a bunch of bananas and is very attractive in the marine aquarium. Like most varieties of Caulerpa racemosa, it can quickly outgrow the available nutrients in a tank, so care must be taken to limit the size of each specimen by regular division of the rhizome. This species is not very palatable to most fish and invertebrates, although some algae eating fish will nip at the rhizome structure.
Scientific Name: Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea
Common Name: Banana Algae, Grape Caulerpa
Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean
Depth Collected: 4-25 Feet
Maximum Height : 6″
Growth Rate: Fast
Light: Moderate to High
Temperature: 72-86
Propagation: Fragmentation, Sporulation
Difficulty: Easy
Food Value: Not Very Palatable