Stigeoclonium
Stigeoclonium spp. · Algae
In the water · Photo: David Bird / CC0
Also called Filamentous algae, Green tufts
How to identify Stigeoclonium
- Small bright green tufts or feathery tassels attached to surfaces
- Slippery, slightly gelatinous feel
- Branched threads tapering to fine hair like tips under a hand lens
- Often on rocks, wood and plants in moving water
Similar species
Draparnaldia has thick gelatin and distinct whorled tufts; Cladophora is coarse and not slippery.
Growth profile
| Season | Grows in spring and summer, often heaviest in spring, and persists as small attached bases. |
|---|---|
| Starts | About 50 F water |
| Light | Moderate to bright light |
| Depth | Attached to hard surfaces in shallow water |
| How it spreads or reproduces | Swimming spores and fragments |
| Habitat | Streams, canals and pond outlets, often below nutrient sources. |
Why it matters in a lake
Often found where water is enriched with nutrients or organic matter. Tufts are small but can coat surfaces.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chlorophyta |
| Class | Chlorophyceae |
| Order | Chaetophorales |
| Family | Chaetophoraceae |
| Scientific name | Stigeoclonium spp. |
Spirogyra
Cladophora
Horsehair algae
Oedogonium
Rhizoclonium
Water net
Water felt
Mougeotia
Zygnema
MicrosporaNeed a hand?
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