Thalassia testudinum

K.D.Koenig, 1805

Turtle Grass

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Florida south to the Gulf of Mexico, including Bermuda and the West Indies, and south to Venezuela.

Natural Environment: Inhabits protected areas from intertidal depths to areas 100 feet deep (30 m), such as Molasses Reef off Key Largo.

Aquarium Suitability: Requires a deep organic-rich sand bed and bright light and slow water movement, and is one of the better seagrasses for seagrass-type environments. Slow to establish itself, and one of the more commonly available species for aquariums.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Alismatales

Family: Hydrocharitaceae

Genus: Thalassia