Batophora

Batophora · also called Fern Finger, Pipe-Cleaner Fern, Hornwort Fern, Fuzzy Finger Algae

Batophora is a small green macroalgae with a central stalk and whorls of fine branches, a little like a miniature watermilfoil. Hobby notes call it lightly calcified, but its true degree of calcification is unclear. It is rarely covered in care literature, so keepers have little experience with it.

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Quick facts

Category	Marine & Algae
Family	Dasycladaceae
Native origin	Tropical western Atlantic, from Florida and Texas to Venezuela and the Caribbean
Care difficulty	Intermediate
Light	Medium light
Pet toxicity	Toxicity unknown

Light

Keepers have little experience with its light needs, so start with moderate reef lighting and change it gradually. In the wild it grows in shallow, protected lagoons and mangrove areas, where light can be strong. Raise intensity slowly and watch the fine branches for any fading.

Water

Standard reef parameters: 23-27 C (74-80 F), salinity ~1.025 SG, pH 8.1-8.4. Sources differ on whether it calcifies, so as a precaution hold calcium (~400-450 ppm), alkalinity (8-11 dKH) and magnesium (~1300 ppm) steady. Wild plants also live in brackish ponds and nutrient-rich estuaries.

Soil & potting

Grows erect from rock or substrate, and wild plants also attach to shells in shallow water. Let the base sit on a piece of rubble or shell, and keep it above loose sand. Some forms are soft and flexible, so tie any piece down gently with line rather than pinching it.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

Native to shallow protected lagoons and mangrove areas, and recorded from brackish ponds and estuaries. Gentle to moderate flow in a refugium or macroalgae tank at standard reef temperature, 23-27 C (74-80 F), is a cautious start. Keepers have little data on its use in a display.

Propagation

Keepers have little record of propagating it. In the wild it reproduces through gametophores borne on its whorls, and it has established itself in new places, including Chesapeake Bay and the Mediterranean. In a tank, watch for new plants nearby and remove any you do not want.

Toxicity detail

No toxicity data for tank animals was found, so the rating stays unknown. No grazing deterrent or smothering risk is recorded. It has spread outside its native range in nutrient-rich coastal waters, so never release it or tank water into the wild, and bin any trimmings.

Varieties & cultivars

Natural forms are the wild species; cultivars are selectively-bred colour or variegation forms of the same plant.

Natural forms3

Fern Finger

Batophora oerstedii. A green alga that hobby notes call lightly calcified, though its true degree of calcification is unclear. It grows erect from substrate or rock, and its upright growths look much like those of Neomeris.

It will grow from either rock or substrate. Little else is recorded about its care, so keep conditions stable.

Pipe-Cleaner Fern

Batophora oerstedii. A green alga that hobby notes call lightly calcified, though its true degree of calcification is unclear. It has erect growths like Neomeris. Its soft, bendable fuzziness sets it apart within the genus and suits the pipe-cleaner name.

Little is recorded about its care, so keep conditions stable and change lighting gradually.

Hornwort Fern

Batophora occidentalis. A green alga that hobby notes call lightly calcified, though its true degree of calcification is unclear. It has erect growths in the style of Neomeris. Softer and fuzzier than most Batophora, it looks a little like hornwort.

Little is recorded about its care, so keep conditions stable and change lighting gradually.