Halimeda discoidea

{{Short description|Species of alga (seaweed)}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Watercress_algae_(Halimeda_discoidea).jpg

| genus = Halimeda

| species = discoidea

| image_alt = Halimeda discoidea plant in an aquarium

| image_caption = Halimeda discoidea

| authority = Decaisne

| synonyms =

}}

Halimeda discoidea is a species of calcareous green algae in the order Bryopsidales.{{Cite web |title=WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Halimeda discoidea Decaisne, 1842 |url=https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=144481 |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=www.marinespecies.org}} It is commonly known as Money Plant due to its appearance and is usually found in the tropics.{{Cite web |title=Marine Plants in the Aquarium |url=https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookdiscoidea.htm#:~:text=A%20%20heavily%20calcified%20algae%20that%20is%20abundant,attaches%20to%20rocks,%20shells%20and%20hard%20%20bottom. |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=www.marineplantbook.com}}

Description

File:Halimeda discoidea in Børgesen 1913.jpg

Halimeda discoidea is a green colored segmented and calcified alga.{{Cite web |title=Halimeda (Money Plant) |url=https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/plants-macroalgae/halimeda-money-plant-detail |access-date=2022-11-25 |website=www.reefcleaners.org |language=en-gb}} This alga has a short holdfast and contains flat segments. It can get up to10 cm tall.{{Cite book |last=M. |first=Huisman, John |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/266978985 |title=Hawaiian reef plants |date=2007 |publisher=Univ. of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program |isbn=1-929054-04-1 |oclc=266978985}}

Habitat

This species can be found attached to hard bottoms like reef and rocky surfaces anywhere in between 3–100 ft. This alga grows better with high light intensity but it is still capable of growing with low light leves.

Distribution

Halimeda discoidea is found widely across the tropical ocean of the world, including the Hawaiian Islands.{{Cite book |last=Aiona. |first=Abbott, Isabella |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/52929144 |title=Marine green and brown algae of the Hawaiian Islands |date=2004 |publisher=Bishop Museum Press |isbn=1-58178-030-3 |oclc=52929144}}

References