Hook Weed
Hypnea musciformis
Description:
- Long, slender branches become intertwined with each other because of hook-like projections
- Usually red in color, but depending on the water quality can be yellow to brown
- Can be found growing on other algae
Concern:
- High growth rate
- Spreads by fragmentation
- Can be found free floating when blooming
- Washes ashore and decomposes during peak bloom in large mats, decreasing property value and beach use
- Introduced in the 1970s for commercial aquaculture from Florida
Impact:
- Causes shift in ecosystem; what was once coral dominated is now algae dominated with low diversity
- Habitat loss greatly affects recreational and commercial fisheries
Distribution:
- Maui: Highest distribution on leeward coast; also found on windward coast
- Oahu: Spans from Kahala to Makaha
- Molokai: South shore
- Northwestern Hawaiian Islands