Portieria sp.

Portieria is a very beautiful species of red macro algae native to Florida and the Caribbean. It features thick but delicate flattened branches than have a lacey pattern. Portieria grows attached to hard bottom habitats in fairly shallow water, but can also be encountered at depths of about 65 ft in the Gulf of Mexico. In shallow water habitats it grows in larger dense clumps. When encountered in deeper water the plant typically has only a few tall branches. The coloration is red, orange or yellow, but it will usually turn deep red under aquarium conditions. It is somewhat rare on the reef but can be abundant when found. It makes a hardy aquarium specimen but it tends to fragment easily when disturbed due to the delicate fronds.

Scientific Name: Portieria sp.

Common Name: Red Lace

Origin: Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, S. Pacific

Maximum Height : 12"

Growth Rate: Slow

Light: High

Temperature: 75 - 84

Propagation: Fragmentation, Sporulation

Difficulty: Easy

Food Value: Not very Palatable

Nutrient Uptake: Fair

Flow Rate: Moderate to High

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