Re: Marine Plants?

[mark.fisher at tpwd_state.tx.us]

     >I believe that all of the species that you named are actually 
     >macroalgaes. Indeed there are only a very few marine plants (i.e. 
     >they have specialized structures, roots, etc. not like algeaes).  
     >Turtle grass and eel grass are only two of a handful of marine 
     >plants.  I at one time tried to get ahold of this stuff when I worked 
     >at a pet store, but gave up after no sucess for over a year.  
     >Possible collecting your own in Florida is possible.
     
     >Marine algaes are beautiful and plentiful and would make a very 
     >interesting tank, but are not plants, they are "lower" life forms.
     
     Nope, algae are plants, too.  While it is certainly true there are very few 
     marine angiosperms (i.e., vascular plants), they represent only one class 
     within the entire plant kingdom.  Macroalgae are not all simple either--an 
     example being the Order Laminariales of the Division Phaeophycophyta (brown 
     algae).  These are the kelps, of which the giant kelp is the most famous 
     member.  It's structure and growth is just as complex as a vascular plant.
     
     The freshwater aquarium plant hobby isn't limited to angiosperms.  There 
     are many gymnosperms common to aquaria, including ferns (e.g., Bolbitis, 
     Isoetes, Salvinia, Ceratopteris, and Microsorum), mosses (e.g., 
     Vesicularia, and Fontinalis), and liverworts (e.g., Riccia).  I suppose if 
     there were any freshwater macroalgae, they would be cultivated in aquaria 
     as well.
     
     Kind regards,
     
     Mark

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