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Linneaus, 1753
Rhizophora mangle, the Red Mangrove is a member of the family of Rhizophoraceae and thus belongs to the „true“ mangroves. It is probably the best-known and the most common mangrove.
Red Mangroves are found in brackish areas along creeks, bays and lagoons. They are native to the western Coast of Africa and the eastern and western Coasts of subtropical and tropical America. They have also been introduced to Hawaiii and in parts of Australia.
Rhizophora mangle is a robust, evergreen shrub or tree, which can adapt easily to different conditions regarding salinity, lighting or nutrients. Its leaves are thick and leathery, the tiny blossoms are usually white or yellow. The most prominent feature of the Red Mangrove are the numerous, above-ground, red stilt roots, also called “props”.
Like the other three genera of the Rhizophoraceae, the Red Mangrove is viviparous, its seeds readily germinate while still attached to the mother plant, producing seedlings about 20 to 25 cm long. When the seedlings or propagules are fully grown, they detach and fall off. If they fall into the sea, they can float on the ocean for more than a year before finding a suitable substrate, where they can root.
The hard wood of the Red Mangrove is used as building timber or firewood.
Due to its hardiness and its ability to cope with different salinity grades, the Red Mangrove can easily be cultivated in open aquaria of all sorts or even as an indoor plant.
In reef tanks it is something used to reduce nitrate and phosphate levels.
Rhizophora mangle, the Red Mangrove is a member of the family of Rhizophoraceae and thus belongs to the „true“ mangroves. It is probably the best-known and the most common mangrove.
Red Mangroves are found in brackish areas along creeks, bays and lagoons. They are native to the western Coast of Africa and the eastern and western Coasts of subtropical and tropical America. They have also been introduced to Hawaiii and in parts of Australia.
Rhizophora mangle is a robust, evergreen shrub or tree, which can adapt easily to different conditions regarding salinity, lighting or nutrients. Its leaves are thick and leathery, the tiny blossoms are usually white or yellow. The most prominent feature of the Red Mangrove are the numerous, above-ground, red stilt roots, also called “props”.
Like the other three genera of the Rhizophoraceae, the Red Mangrove is viviparous, its seeds readily germinate while still attached to the mother plant, producing seedlings about 20 to 25 cm long. When the seedlings or propagules are fully grown, they detach and fall off. If they fall into the sea, they can float on the ocean for more than a year before finding a suitable substrate, where they can root.
The hard wood of the Red Mangrove is used as building timber or firewood.
Due to its hardiness and its ability to cope with different salinity grades, the Red Mangrove can easily be cultivated in open aquaria of all sorts or even as an indoor plant.
In reef tanks it is something used to reduce nitrate and phosphate levels.
