Caulerpa lentillifera Care Guide
Caulerpa lentillifera, the edible 'sea grapes' macroalga, is a fast-growing siphonous green seaweed widely used for nutrient export in marine refugiums.
Overview
Caulerpa lentillifera J.Agardh, 1837 is a green macroalga of the family Caulerpaceae, commonly called sea grapes. Like other Caulerpa, it is a siphonous alga: the whole thallus is effectively a single giant cell with many nuclei. Creeping stolons bear upright shoots covered in cluster-like green beads, and the alga is widely cultivated as food across the Asia-Pacific.
Taxonomy
- Family: Caulerpaceae
- Genus: Caulerpa
- Scientific name: Caulerpa lentillifera J.Agardh, 1837
- Class: Ulvophyceae; Order: Bryopsidales
- WoRMS AphiaID: 211475 (accepted)
Habitat
The species occurs in coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific. It was first cultivated commercially in the 1950s in Cebu, the Philippines, after an accidental introduction to fish ponds, and is grown in Okinawa, Japan, and elsewhere. In cultivation it is harvested after about two months and then on a recurring schedule as it regrows.
Aquarium use
In reef systems Caulerpa lentillifera is kept mainly in refugiums for nutrient export, where its fast growth removes nitrate and phosphate from the water. The beads and stolons also provide grazing surface and habitat for small invertebrates such as copepods.
Tank requirements
- Water type: saltwater (marine)
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 8.0-8.4
- Carbonate hardness / GH reference: 8-12 °dGH
- Lighting: medium
- CO2 injection: not required
- Growth rate: fast; maximum height ~10 cm
Care and propagation
Caulerpa spreads by stolon division, so regular trimming keeps the patch healthy and sustains nutrient uptake. As with all Caulerpa species, leave enough biomass to continue export when harvesting. Trimming roughly every two weeks helps prevent the build-up of old tissue.