Liagora

Liagora · also called Ghastly Liagora, Purple Iridescent Liagora

Liagora is a calcified red macroalgae with spindly, slippery branches, in white and purple forms, and one kept type shows iridescent highlights. Species range from moderately to heavily calcified, so it draws down calcium and alkalinity. It is notably fragile, and keepers have little experience with it in tanks.

Educational only. Some KinStation entries are reviewed by licensed veterinarians, but none can replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.

Quick facts

Category	Marine & Algae
Family	Liagoraceae
Native origin	Warm-temperate to tropical seas
Care difficulty	Advanced
Light	Medium light
Pet toxicity	Toxicity unknown

Light

Keepers have little experience with its light needs, so start with moderate reef lighting and raise it slowly. The wild genus lives on warm reefs, and one reef-slope survey found it thriving alongside Galaxaura. Hold lighting steady once the plant looks settled and healthy.

Water

Standard reef parameters: 23-27 C (74-80 F), salinity ~1.025 SG, pH 8.1-8.4. As a calcifier it needs stable calcium (~400-450 ppm), alkalinity (8-11 dKH) and magnesium (~1300 ppm), and it competes with corals for them. No other specific needs are recorded.

Soil & potting

Grows on hard surfaces, not in sand. One care note suggests fixing it with only the smallest dab of glue, while its slippery tissue also suits a loose tie with line. New pieces can look like a formless blob, so secure them on rock and avoid handling them further.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

Advice differs on flow: kept forms are said to need high flow, while another care note prefers low but steady flow. What matters is that water keeps moving past the branches without tearing them. Use a display or macroalgae tank at standard reef temperature, 23-27 C (74-80 F).

Propagation

Keepers have little record of propagating it. It is so fragile that cutting a plant is a risk, so treat each piece as a specimen and handle it as little as possible. A related Mediterranean species is seasonal, appearing in spring and gone by autumn, so kept plants may also be short-lived.

Toxicity detail

No toxicity data for tank animals was found, so the rating stays unknown. Calcified algae tend to be less palatable to fish, though data for Liagora itself is lacking. No coral smothering risk is recorded. Lab work on L. hawaiiana looked at bioactivity, not aquarium safety.

Varieties & cultivars

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

Natural forms2

Ghastly Liagora

Liagora sp. A white and purple Liagora with spindly, slippery branches in a distinctive pattern. It needs plenty of water movement.

Give it high flow. Notably fragile, so handle it as little as possible.

Purple Iridescent Liagora

Liagora sp. A purple Liagora with spindly, slippery branches and iridescent highlights along its thallus. It needs plenty of water movement.