Caloglossa beccarii

Caloglossa beccarii
Caloglossa beccarii inside of a black plastic tub
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Archaeplastida
Division: Rhodophyta
Class: Florideophyceae
Order: Ceramiales
Family: Delesseriaceae
Genus: Caloglossa
Species:
C. beccarii
Binomial name
Caloglossa beccarii
Synonyms

Delesseria beccarii Zanardini

Caloglossa beccarii, known as red moss, is a species of red algae that may live in freshwater or brackish environments. While rare, it is sometimes found in the aquarium trade. Unlike most other freshwater algae, Caloglossa beccarii is intentionally grown and can be used in aquascape.

Description

Caloglossa beccarii is a species of complex multicellular red algae. The plant has leafy branches that take on a range of colors depending on lighting and its specific environment. Shades include purple, purple-red, mauve, dark orange, and brown. The plant forms dense mats and has rhizoids which anchor it to surfaces. The plant's specific epithet honors the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari.

Distribution and habitat

Caloglossa beccarii is typically found on stones in coastal streams of Southeast Asia, the western Pacific, and northern Australia. Specifically, it may be found in Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, and Singapore. The species grows in association with mangrove trees.

Uses

Aquascaping

Caloglossa beccarii is one of the few species of algae that is purposefully used in freshwater aquascaping. Although it was known to European aquarists since the 1990s, it wasn't identified until a 2004 assessment by Maike Lorenz, professor at the University of Goettingen. As an ornamental, the species is sought after for its coloration and habit of attaching itself to aquarium hardscape like rocks and wood. The plant is easy to cultivate, and if unchecked, may become weedy.

To aquarists, Caloglossa beccarii is misleadingly known as "red moss". In reality, the species is nowhere close to being a moss, having diverged from green plants at least 1.5 billion years ago. As an analogy, this would be like calling a cow a fungus.

As food

It has been proposed that Caloglossa beccarii has culinary potential. It is a source of trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, and manganese, as well as amino acids such as arginine, leucine, and glutamine. Additionally, the species is also high in ascorbic acid and antioxidants.

Phylogeny

In the trade, it is often referred to as Caloglossa cf. beccarii as certain identification is difficult. A 2020 DNA barcoding study isolated C. beccarii from Taiwanese aquarium stores. The algae is most closely related to C. stipitata and C. fluviatilis.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kamiya, Mitsunobu; West, John A.; Karsten, Ulf; Ganesan, E. K. (November 2016). "Molecular and morphological delineation of Caloglossa beccarii and related species (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta)". Phycologia. 55 (6): 640–649. Bibcode:2016Phyco..55..640K. doi:10.2216/16-19.1. ISSN 0031-8884. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. 1 2 Latt, Cho Cho; Soe-Htun, U. (2014). "The Diversity and Distribution of the Genus Caloglossa J. Agardh (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) in Setse and Kyaikkhami Coastal Areas". Mawlamyine University Research Journal. 5 (1). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 Michael (19 April 2024). "Red Moss Care Guide – Planting, Growing, and Propagation". Aquarium Breeder. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  4. ↑ King, R. J.; Puttock, C. F. (1994). "Morphology and taxonomy of Caloglossa (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta)". Australian Systematic Botany. 7 (2): 89–124. Bibcode:1994AuSyB...7...89K. doi:10.1071/SB9940089. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Sato, Hiroshi; Akiyama, Hiroyuki (2001). "Caloglossa beccarii (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) from Thailand on the Malay Peninsula and its distribution in Southeast Asia" (PDF). Nature and Human Activities. 6: 101–104.
  6. 1 2 "Caloglossa cf. beccarii". Flowgrow. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Yang, Eun Chan; Boo, Sung Min; Bhattacharya, Debashish; Saunders, Gary W.; Knoll, Andrew H.; Fredericq, Suzanne; Graf, Louis; Yoon, Hwan Su (2016-02-19). "Divergence time estimates and the evolution of major lineages in the florideophyte red algae". Scientific Reports. 6 (1) 21361. Bibcode:2016NatSR...621361Y. doi:10.1038/srep21361. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 4759575. PMID 26892537.
  8. ↑ Liu, Hongyue; Steenwyk, Jacob L.; Zhou, Xiaofan; Schultz, Darrin T.; Kocot, Kevin M.; Shen, Xing-Xing; Rokas, Antonis; Li, Yuanning (2024-09-16). "A taxon-rich and genome-scale phylogeny of Opisthokonta". PLOS Biology. 22 (9) e3002794. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3002794. ISSN 1545-7885. PMC 11426530. PMID 39283949.
  9. ↑ Chankaew, W.; Amornlerdpison, D.; Lailerd, N. (2021). "Characteristics of red macroalgae, Caloglossa beccarii DeToni from freshwater for food as safe and other applications in Thailand". International Journal of Agricultural Technology. 17 (1): 1–12. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  10. ↑ Zhan, Shing Hei; Hsieh, Tsai-Yin; Yeh, Lan-Wei; Kuo, Ting-Chun; Suda, Shoichiro; Liu, Shao-Lun (March 2021). "Hidden introductions of freshwater red algae via the aquarium trade exposed by DNA barcodes". Environmental DNA. 3 (2): 481–491. doi:10.1002/edn3.139. ISSN 2637-4943.