caulerpa taxifolia

[andruboz]

just watched the nova special [PBS] on the invasion of the aquarium seaweed.

was pretty informative. didnt paint aquariasts in a particularly good light. made it look like our vanity in wanting to have pretty green tanks has ruined the Mediterranean. as dangerous as it was described, i was surprised in wasnt on the texas fish and game banned list. its supposedly on the U.S. list but i'm not sure where that can be found on the net.

woulda posted in general chitchat but this plant is a saltwater problem. i suppose proper handling of organisms and waste is a concern to all aquariasts..

[OrionGirl]

Invasives of all varieties are a problem. Many states spend millions each year to track, treat ect invasive plants and animals. While the caulerpa problem is real and scary, it should be remembered that this happened a while back, before the hazards of invasives was really understood.

Heck, the darned tumbleweed, that famous symbol of the old West, is an invasive weed brought in from Russia in the late 1800's. Now, we can't get rid of them. Other aquatic invasives: rainbow trout, brook trout, New Zealand Mud Snail, knap weed, russian thistle...There are lots more.