Zebrasoma flavescens en acuario arrecife

L'Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain 3 - Jan 07

Aquatic plant Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments (saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that ...

s are used to give the

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

a natural appearance, oxygenate the water, and provide habitat for fish, especially fry (babies) and for invertebrates. Some aquarium fish and invertebrates also eat live plants. Hobby aquarists use aquatic plants for

aquascaping Aquascaping is the craft of arranging aquatic plants, as well as rocks, stones, cavework, or driftwood, in an aesthetically pleasing manner within an aquarium—in effect, gardening under water. Aquascape designs include a number of distinct styl ...

. Marine algae are also included in this list for convenience, despite the fact that many species are technically classified as

protists A protist () is any eukaryotic organism (that is, an organism whose cells contain a cell nucleus) that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. While it is likely that protists share a common ancestor (the last eukaryotic common ancestor), the excl ...

, not plants.

Brown macroalgae

Brown macroalgae are sometimes seasonally available in the aquarium trade and under suitable conditions, will grow quite prolifically. They possess the pigment Fucoxanthin which gives them their coloration ranging from yellow to dark brown. A few are desirable yet many are pests with some species being rather difficult to remove, often making their way into aquariums on live rock.

Green macroalgae

Green macroalgae are extremely diverse and abundant, coming in a wide variety of shapes. They possess the pigment

Chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

which gives them their coloration ranging from bright green to yellow or dark jade. Reproduction via fragmentation or the releasing of spores are utilized by this macroalgae group. The second option, which is used by the genus, '' Caulerpa'', can be quite problematic in an aquarium. Some species of green macroalgae have greater ease surviving in high nutrient environments or inadequate water parameters than other kinds of macroalgae and are generally the most suitable for nutrient removal due to their rapid growth rates.

Red macroalgae

Red macroalgae are highly sought after in the aquarium trade given their intense coloration and striking appearance. They possess the pigment

Phycoerythrin Phycoerythrin (PE) is a red protein-pigment complex from the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein family, present in cyanobacteria, red algae and cryptophytes, accessory to the main chlorophyll pigments responsible for photosynthesis.The red pigmen ...

which gives them their vivid coloration ranging from red to orange to blue. For some species, identification is difficult and slight variations due to location and depth may exist.

Mangroves

Most mangroves that end up in the aquarium trade are either collected as seeds or grown on land. Their leaves should be exposed to the air, well beyond the surface of the water, and be sprayed with freshwater regularly to prevent salt buildup. They also require intense lighting and a layer of substrate, not too shallow as to let the tree topple over and not too fine which would make parts of the sandbed to go anaerobic.: How to properly care for mangrove trees in ‘aquaria’

'. In: Reef Builders , The Reef and Marine Aquarium Blo

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Seagrass

Turtle grass ''Thalassia testudinum'', commonly known as turtlegrass, is a species of Marine (ocean), marine seagrass. It forms meadows in shallow sandy or muddy locations in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Turtle grass and other seagrasses form sea ...

, ''

Thalassia hemprichii ''Thalassia hemprichii'', called Pacific turtlegrass, is a widespread species of seagrass in the genus '' Thalassia'', native to the shores of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the western Pacific Ocean. Its growth rate increases with CO2 enrich ...

'' and '' Thalassia testudinum'' *

Manatee grass ''Syringodium filiforme'', commonly known as manatee grass, is a species of marine seagrass. It forms meadows in shallow sandy or muddy locations in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and is also found in the Bahamas and Bermuda ) ...

, ''

Syringodium filiforme ''Syringodium filiforme'', commonly known as manatee grass, is a species of marine seagrass. It forms meadows in shallow sandy or muddy locations in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and is also found in the Bahamas and Bermuda ) ...

References