Ochtodes

Ochtodes · also called Bluish-Purple Ochtodes

Ochtodes is a branching red macroalgae. The kept form resembles Blue Hypnea but has thicker, less dense branches and a bluish-purple iridescent sheen from reflected light. It is notably fragile, and new pieces often look grey. It is strongly chemically defended, and keepers have little experience with it.

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	Rhizophyllidaceae
Native origin	Caribbean and tropical western Atlantic, with a species on the Pacific coast of Mexico
Care difficulty	Advanced
Light	Bright indirect
Pet toxicity	Toxicity unknown

Light

Give it full-spectrum reef light, since the sheen comes from reflection and needs a broad spectrum to show. New pieces often look dull grey and color up with adequate light, so do not mistake that for a dead plant. Keepers have little other data, so raise intensity slowly.

Water

Standard reef parameters: 23-27 C (74-80 F), salinity ~1.025 SG, pH 8.1-8.4. No specific needs are recorded. Keep salinity and temperature stable, and keep nitrate and phosphate measurable. Its lookalike Blue Hypnea does best in steady, mature water, which is a fair guide here.

Soil & potting

Treat it as an attached alga that grows on hard surfaces, not in sand. Tie a clump to rubble with monofilament line, as keepers do for Blue Hypnea, and handle it as little as possible. Keepers have little record of how well cuttings attach, so leave it in place once secured.

Environment — humidity, temperature, placement

Comes from warm Caribbean and tropical waters, so use standard reef temperature, 23-27 C (74-80 F). Moderate, broad flow in a display or macroalgae tank is a cautious start, keeping debris off the branches. It is notably fragile, so pick its spot once and avoid moving it.

Propagation

Keepers have little record of propagating it in aquariums. Researchers have grown tiny plantlets in lab culture, but that is far from home practice. Trim only a small branch from a healthy clump and tie it to rubble, and accept that fragile pieces may not survive the move.

Toxicity detail

No source covers cats or dogs, so the rating stays unknown. It makes halogenated monoterpenes such as ochtodene. In Caribbean trials no transplants were lost to herbivores, and ochtodene deterred fish, though amphipods were less affected. Harm to tank animals is not documented, and no coral smothering risk is recorded.

Varieties & cultivars

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

Natural forms1

Bluish-Purple Ochtodes

Ochtodes sp. A red alga whose surface throws back blue and violet light, giving an iridescent bluish-purple look. It resembles Hypnea pannosa, but its branches are thicker and less dense and its color leans further towards purple. New pieces often look grey at first.

Notably fragile, so handle it as little as possible. Give it full-spectrum light, and do not mistake early grey color for a dead plant.