Marimo
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Marimo (Japanese: 毬藻 marimo), also known as Cladophora ball in English, are a variety of algae found in some lakes of Japan, Iceland and Estonia. They consist of an aggregation of algae. The rolling action of gentle tides causes them to form into round green balls with a velvety appearance.
The plant was originally classified by Kützing, who by 1849 classified the plant as Aegagropila linnaei, belonging to genus Cladophora, subgenus Aegagropila. The plant was later renamed to Cladophora aegagropila and Cladophora sauteri, however extensive DNA research in 2002 returned the name to Aegagropila linnaei.
The plant was named "marimo" by a Japanese botanist Tatsuhiko Kawakami 川上龍彦 (Kawakami Tatsuhiko) in 1898 (Meiji 31). Mari is a bouncy play ball. Mo is a generic term for plants that grow in water. The native names in Ainu are tōrasanpe (lake ghost) and tōkarippu (thing that rolls in mud). Note: the Ainu names were transliterated into kana, then transliterated into the Latin alphabet. Therefore the spelling may not be a close representation of the orignal pronounciation.
Their scientific names are Cladophora aegagropila and they belong to the Cladophora sauteri group. They were first discovered in the 1820s by Dr. Anton E. Sauter in Lake Zeller (de:Irrsee (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrsee)), Austria.
They are sometimes sold in aquaria under the name "Japanese moss balls," although in Japan they are a protected species. It is said that if you take good care of the plant, it will make your wish come true.
The growing speed of Marimo is about 5 mm per year. In Lake Akan, Hokkaido, they grow particularly large, up to 20-30 cm (8-12 inches).
External links
- http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~xeno/lakeballs.htm
- http://web-japan.org/atlas/nature/nat15.html
- http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant,%20Japanese%20Moss%20Balls.htm
- Photograph of some Marimo (http://www.aquariumplant.com/cart/images/items/marimo%20great.jpg)ja:マリモ
