Cladophora
Cladophora spp. · Algae
A bloom in the water · Photo: W.carter / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Also called Green hair algae, Moss, Cladophora glomerata, Cotton algae, Blanket weed
How to identify Cladophora
- Coarse, rough feel like wet wool or cotton, not slimy
- Branched threads, visible with a hand lens
- Long streaming tufts attached to rocks, walls and plants
- Bright green when growing, yellow then white when bleached
Similar species
Spirogyra is slimy and unbranched; Rhizoclonium is finer and rarely branched; horsehair algae is wiry with almost no branching.
Growth profile
| Season | Grows heavily in late spring and early summer, sloughs off in midsummer heat, may regrow in fall and survives winter as short tufts. |
|---|---|
| Starts | About 50 F water with bright light |
| Light | High light |
| Depth | Attached to hard surfaces from the waterline to several feet, later floating |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Fragments and swimming spores; tufts regrow from attached bases |
| Habitat | Rocks, docks, walls, canals and streams with moving water, hard water and extra nutrients. |
Why it matters in a lake
Detached mats pile up on shorelines, rot and smell, and clog intakes and irrigation screens. Heavy growth indicates nutrient enrichment, especially phosphorus.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Common
- Oregon: Common
- Wyoming: Common
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chlorophyta |
| Class | Ulvophyceae |
| Order | Cladophorales |
| Family | Cladophoraceae |
| Scientific name | Cladophora spp. |
Spirogyra
Horsehair algae
Oedogonium
Rhizoclonium
Water net
Water felt
Mougeotia
Zygnema
Microspora
StigeocloniumNeed a hand?
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