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''Halophila decipiens'', commonly known as Caribbean seagrass or paddle grass, is a
seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four families ( Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae), all in the ...
in the
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
Hydrocharitaceae Hydrocharitaceae is a flowering plant family including 16 known genera with a total of ca 135 known species (Christenhusz & Byng 2016), that including a number of species of aquatic plant, for instance the tape-grasses, the well known Canadian ...
. It grows underwater on sandy or muddy sea floors in shallow parts of tropical seas.


Description

''
Halophila ''Halophila'' is a genus of seagrasses in the family ''Hydrocharitaceae'', the tape-grasses. It was described as a genus in 1806. The number of its contained species, and its own placement in the order Alismatales, has evolved. Description Th ...
'' is the only
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomencla ...
of seagrass that lacks basal sheaths on the leaf stems. ''Halophila decipiens'' has thin
rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ho ...
s that run along near the surface of sand or mud, with a root at each node to anchor the plant in place. The almost stemless leaves grow in pairs from the nodes with a pair of scales at their base. The leaves are paddle-shaped and have a finely serrated margin and are up to long and wide. Male and female flowers are found on the same
spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or o ...
and a female flower can produce about 30 seeds. Flowering seems to be stimulated by a rise in water temperature above a certain threshold rather than day length. The plant is an
annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...
.''Halophila engelmannii'' star grass
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 2012-01-28.

Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Retrieved 2012-01-29.


Distribution

''Halophila decipiens'' is a pantropical species being found in tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Western Atlantic Ocean and European waters. Though often found at depths of less than it sometimes occurs as deep as . It is a
euryhaline Euryhaline organisms are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. An example of a euryhaline fish is the molly (''Poecilia sphenops'') which can live in fresh water, brackish water, or salt water. The green crab (''Carcinus maenas'') is an e ...
species and can be found in areas with low
salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal to ...
.


Ecology

Seagrass beds acts as a source of food, a breeding ground and a habitat for various flora and fauna. In the
Indian River Lagoon The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida; one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to more than 4,3 ...
, ''Halophila decipiens'' is one of three species of ''Halophila'', the others being '' Halophila johnsonii'' and '' Halophila engelmannii''. '' Halophila baillonis'' has also been reported but may have been misidentified and several other species of seagrass are also present. These seagrasses often form mixed meadows and the animals that feed on them include
sea urchin Sea urchins () are spiny, globular echinoderms in the class Echinoidea. About 950 species of sea urchin live on the seabed of every ocean and inhabit every depth zone from the intertidal seashore down to . The spherical, hard shells (tests) of ...
s,
sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
s,
parrotfish Parrotfishes are a group of about 90 fish species regarded as a family (Scaridae), or a subfamily (Scarinae) of the wrasses. With about 95 species, this group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, r ...
, surgeonfish and possibly
pinfish ''Lagodon'' is a genus of saltwater fish in the family Sparidae, the breams and porgies. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Lagodon rhomboides'', commonly known as pinfish.Masterson, J''Lagodon rhomboides''.Smithsonian Mar ...
.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5643436 decipiens Pantropical flora