Eucheuma spinosum

A beautiful and unique species of red macro algae that has a beautiful orange-red coloration. It features thick, rubbery, spiny branches that extend into irregular branchlets forming a large clump. It's attached by a single holdfast on hard bottom in fairly shallow water to depths of only about 15 ft. Macro algae that is native to the tidal zone is often completely exposed and gets a lot of ocean current from wind and tidal surge. This particular species is only found in the Florida Keys but can also be observed in other areas of the eastern Caribbean including the Bahamas. Eucheuma can be difficult to keep in the aquarium and is best kept as a smaller size. It requires a very stable environment with good water circulation and moderate to high lighting.  It has a very distinct chemical smell when taken out of the water and has many commercial uses due to its unique gelatinous compounds.

Scientific Name: Eucheuma spinosum

Common Name: Jelly Plant

Origin: Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Tropical Atlantic

Maximum Height : 10"

Growth Rate: Slow

Light: Moderate to High

Temperature: 70 - 82

Propagation: Fragmentation, sporulation

Difficulty: Advanced

Food Value: Not very palatable

Nutrient Uptake: Good

Flow Rate: Moderate to High

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