''Halophila decipiens'', commonly known as Caribbean seagrass or paddle grass, is a

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine (ocean), marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four Family (biology), families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Hydrocharitaceae. It grows underwater on sandy or muddy sea floors in shallow parts of tropical seas.

Description

'' Halophila'' is the only

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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 Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

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, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

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.''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 A pantropical ("all tropics") distribution is one which covers tropical regions of both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Examples of species include caecilians, modern sirenians and the plant genera ''Acacia'' and ''Bacopa''. ''Neotropical' ...

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 short-finned molly, '' Poecilia sphenops'', which can live in fresh water, brackish water, or salt water. The green crab ('' Carcinus m ...

species and can be found in areas with low

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), 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 dimensio ...

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, ...

, ''Halophila decipiens'' is one of three species of ''Halophila'', the others being '' Halophila ovalis'' in the form of Johnson's seagrass 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 or urchins () are echinoderms in the class (biology), class Echinoidea. About 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depth zones from the intertidal zone to deep seas of . They typically have a globular body cove ...

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, loggerh ...

s, parrotfish,

surgeonfish Acanthuridae are a family (biology), family of ray-finned fish which includes surgeonfishes, tangs, and Naso (fish), unicornfishes. The family includes about 86 Extant taxon, extant species of ocean, marine fish living in tropical seas, usually ...

and possibly pinfish.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5643436 decipiens Pantropical flora