Ulva sp. - Sea Lettuce
The reef’s produce: fast, fresh, and full of life.
What You Get
Sea Lettuce is a bright green, fast-growing macroalga made of thin, ruffled sheets that resemble ocean lettuce leaves. It forms smooth, wavy discs that attach to hard substrate in shallow water or float freely among seagrass beds.
In the aquarium it provides natural movement and habitat, with amphipods and copepods hiding and grazing within its folds. It is one of the most efficient macros for nutrient export and is a favorite natural food source for tangs, angels, and herbivorous invertebrates.
Why It Is Algaesome
-
Highlights: Smooth, ruffled fronds that grow quickly and bring lively motion to refugiums and displays.
-
Palatability: Extremely palatable for fish and inverts, making it an excellent supplemental food.
-
Care: Prefers moderate to high light and moderate flow. Anchor or tumble to prevent clogging intakes.
-
Nutrient uptake: Excellent nutrient export capability, often used as a primary exporter.
-
Color: Bright green in strong light that deepens to emerald under moderate illumination.
-
Texture: Some Ulva species are more flexible while others seem almost brittle. Species depends on collection location and conditions.
Sizing and Availability
Each portion is roughly 1 cup in volume with natural variation in thickness and frond shape. Availability is typically best during cooler months when growth conditions are optimal.
Traits
Color Bright to deep green
Ease Easy
Classification Green macroalgae
Nutrient Uptake Excellent
Availability Cooler months
Use Display and refugium macro; food source
Lighting Moderate to high
Flow Moderate
A Note from the Collectors:
Every macroalga we offer is hand-collected, acclimated, and observed by our team before shipping. While we carefully try to remove other algae, sponges, and tiny hitchhikers, it is possible that a few goodies from the reef may tag along. It is a natural part of receiving genuine wild-collected specimens.
Many species may arrive paler or whitish in color. This is completely normal. Macroalgae shift their pigments inward during transport to protect from light and stress, and color usually returns within a few days under good aquarium lighting and flow.
We ship via 2-day service only on Mondays and Tuesdays to help ensure specimens arrive healthy. You will receive a notification with tracking information as soon as your order ships.
