Coral moss

Care at a glance

Overview

Glue or tie thin layers onto rock or wood and let the rhizoids grab hold, since it will not root into substrate. It is a slow grower, and while it can survive without CO2 it stays sparse and slow, so CO2, medium light, good flow, and a mature, clean tank are strongly recommended to get it looking dense and algae-free. It prefers softer, slightly acidic to neutral water and cooler tropical temperatures. Trim and re-attach fragments to spread it, and keep detritus off the dense mats.

In the wild

Coral moss is a tropical liverwort from Asia and the Pacific that grows on wet rock and wood along shaded, running water. It clings by rhizoids and builds low, densely branched cushions rather than trailing strands. It favors clean, stable, well-oxygenated conditions like the flowing habitats it comes from.

Good to know

Despite the 'moss' name it is a thallose liverwort in the genus Riccardia (family Aneuraceae), not a true moss. The trade name 'graeffei' is provisional (usually written Riccardia sp. 'graeffei', probably Riccardia graeffei), and it is often confused with the closely related Riccardia chamedryfolia, from which it differs by having wider, softer branches and a deeper green shade. The flattened, forking branches give the dense cushions a coral-like look, which is where the common name comes from.

Did you know

Coral moss is not a moss at all but a liverwort, one of the oldest lineages of land plants, and its stiff, flattened, repeatedly forking thallus is what gives it that miniature-coral appearance.

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