MARIMO MOSS BALLS

Photo Credit: thesill

The Aegagropila linnaei, otherwise known as the Marimo moss ball, is a species of filamentous green algae that is known for its unique shape and velvety smooth complexion. Marimo moss balls grow by absorbing nitrates, phosphates, and other organic waste from the water. As they grow, they purify the water they live in and provide oxygen for animals that live with them. Horticulture Chair Nancy Percivall shares the history and fun facts on this interesting species.

HISTORY & FUN FACTS:

• Marimo were first discovered in Lake Zell, Austria in 1823 by Dr. Anton Sauter, an Austrian botanist. The name Marimo was later bestowed by Japanese botanist Tatsuhiko Kawakami in 1898. Mari is a bouncy play ball and mo is a generic term for plants that grow in water.
• Marimo moss balls aren't moss – the balls are formed by strings of algae rolling around the shallow edges of lakes rounding out into spheres.
• The balls are green all the way around ensuring that they can photosynthesize no matter which way they roll. In their natural habitat they rise and fall when the algae photosynthesizes, rapidly causing oxygen to carry them to the surface. When the light lessens, the balls sink back to the bottom.
• The inside of the balls are dormant chloroplasts which become active after being broken apart. Often the balls divide on their own and form into new moss balls. It is possible to create your own colony – to propagate your own moss balls you simply divide an existing ball in two and then form the resulting parts into balls by rolling them around in your hands.
• Marimo moss balls can grow in a wide range of temperatures but seem to do best in colder water environments and exposed to light. Moss balls grow very gradually, typically at a rate of about 5 millimeters a year in their natural habitat – in an aquarium, with added fertilizer, they can grow much faster.
• They require little maintenance – the water should be changed once a week. To clean the moss balls, simply remove them from the water and gently squeeze, as you would a sponge.
• Marimo moss balls are considered a national treasure in Japan.
• The oldest recorded Marimo moss ball is over 200 years old.