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Tetraspora

Tetraspora spp. · Algae

Tetraspora: Out of the water

Out of the water · Photo: Sam Kieschnick / CC BY

NativeColonial algaeGreen

Also called Gelatinous algae, Green tubes, Green jelly algae

How to identify Tetraspora

  • Pale to bright green, slippery, bubbly jelly tubes or sacs
  • Tubes may be inflated and look like green intestines
  • Very soft and fragile
  • Attached to rocks or plants in cool water

Similar species

Gut weed is firmer and found in salty water; Draparnaldia has visible branched tufts.

Growth profile

SeasonMost common in early spring in cold water and fades by summer.
StartsCool water, about 40 to 50 F
LightModerate light
DepthAttached to the bottom or rocks in shallow water
How it spreads or reproducesFragments and swimming cells
HabitatCool ponds, ditches, springs and streams, attached to rocks or plants.

Why it matters in a lake

A cool season jelly alga. Usually disappears as water warms.

Where it is found

  • Idaho: Occasional
  • Oregon: Occasional
  • Wyoming: Occasional

Classification

KingdomPlantae
PhylumChlorophyta
ClassChlorophyceae
OrderChlamydomonadales
FamilyTetrasporaceae
Scientific nameTetraspora spp.

More colonial algae

ChaetophoraSpirogyraCladophoraHorsehair algaeLyngbyaMuskgrass

Browse all algae in the Species Database

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