HALOPHILA DECIPIENS

H. Decipiens features small, oval shaped leaves, with a white vein down the middle with 6-8 cross veins per blade. Individual plants grow to just 1" wide by about 3" tall. It grows attached to a single rhizome in 4-6" of sediment. It is abundant in calm protected water, where it often forms dense meadows in substrate rich in organic matter. It is typically found at shallow depths, but has been reported in water 280 feet deep in some locations. This species has recently become popular for use in the aquarium and is becoming more available due to the propagation efforts of aquarists within in the United States. H. Decipiens is only native to a select area in the state of Florida, mostly the Indian River Lagoon. It is highly protected, so collected plants must be found free floating as drift specimens. Like other varieties of Halophila, it is relatively undemanding in the aquarium, but needs moderate lighting and an organic substrate to grow. Because it can grow very deep, it can often do well in refugiums with high levels of organic nutrients and low light. Not palatable to fish.

Aquarium Care Information

Scientific Name: Halophila Decipiens

Common Name: Oar Grass

Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Caribbean, S.Pacific

Depth Collected: 10-100 Feet

Maximum Height : 4"

Growth Rate: Slow

Light: Moderate

Temperature: 72-86

Propagation: Rhizomes, Seeds

Difficulty: Moderate

Food Value: Not Palatable 

Nutrient Uptake: Good once established

Flow Rate: Moderate to High

Copyright © 2010 GCE All rights reserved. No part of this online publication may be reproduced in any form by any means without the expressed permission of the author. All images are the property of Gulf Coast Ecosystems unless otherwise noted and should not be reproduced or distributed without permission.

Seagrasses

Table of Contents