Can Anyone Identify This Fish

Can anyone identify this algae?

Ok, let me make some clarifications that might help...

I've seen staghorn & blue/green algae, even brown - its none of the above.

It grows on the glass, rocks, and ornaments, but NOT on the plants. It grows very, very rapidly, but in a wierd way. It kind of "crawls" across the glass, leaving nothing behind it, but getting wider as it grows. It usually "crawls" at about an inch per hour - much faster than any algae I've ever seen.

It is VERY easy to remove. Fish brushing up against it have removed large areas. It grows very flat, like ivy climbing up a wall...

I'm starting to think it might be a fungus or something. The picture of that small "bloom" (the last picture) grew to be about 8 inches wide and was 6 inches up the glass within just a few hours. That doesn't sound like blue, green OR brown algae to me... And it doesn't look like staghorn - it has a very distinct "branching" pattern, where it splits off and widens as it grows.

Any ideas?

Can anyone help identify a fish in sw florida canals?

Sounds like a Mayan Cichlid. They guard their nests, turn an orange-reddish color when they light up during the fight. You can find them in many canals from fresh to brackish waters. They are also known as " Strawberries, Atomic Perch and Fresh water Snapper." They are very good to eat and can range from 1 pound up to 5 pounds. Hard fighting fish on light line and there is no limit as far as how many you keep. The only catch is that you cannot transport them alive anywhere. Do so and get caught will result in a huge fine. I believe the record catch is slightly over 5 pounds so get one bigger and put your name on the board. They are a non-native species so have at it. I got a pic below for you to compare.~good luck catchin'.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2215/2531...

Please identify this fish?

Your fish is very common to Alaska waters where it is known as the Irish Lord, but known locally to Alaskans as a "double ugly" for very obvious reasons. Back when I worked for the Alaska Railroad on a Bridges & Building crew out of Whittier, we used to use a piece of raw chicken to catch an Irish Lord from which we would cut a sizable chunk for bait, tied to the end of our line on a lengthy surf-style rod. Casting it as far as we could, we had only to wait from ten to twenty minutes before reeling in a HUGE king crab or tanner crab, As long as we didn't try to lift them out of the water, they would hang on to the bait. By drifting them over a waiting dip net, we could catch ALL the crab we wanted. It worked SO well that it is no longer legal to do that in Alaskan waters. (Bummer!) But at least we came to the conclusion that the 'double ugly" was good for something besides causing nightmares in little children. I have seen them up here at least three or four times larger than the one in your photo and I assume they get considerably larger than those I've seen. They will take just about anything you throw their way including small jigs, spoons, and in-line spinners intended for trout, etc. With those huge pectoral fins, the bigger fish can be challenging to drag in. And if you watch them in an aquarium environment, they will use the big fins almost as feet to hold themselves in the rocks when resisting tidal currents or a fisherman. Odd fish, for sure, and more head than meat. But, again, they can make a great addition to a crab pot rather than a stew pot. Know what I mean?