Is this Didymo?

[jbomb]

Hey everyone. I got out this weekend and noticed this crap in a local stream. Wasn't sure if it's didymo or not. Any thoughts?

 

[freestylefisher]

Tough to tell from the picks ...... Didimo is rough and course and feels like steel wool

 

[jbomb]

hm... this looked a bit slimy, which I guess is not characteristic of didymo? i didn't think to touch it.

 

[freestylefisher]

I would say no then

 

[SBecker]

I always thought didymo was slimy. That is why it is called rock snot. No?

 

[jbomb]

Me too... the name "rock snot" is what made me think that's what I was looking at. I did read that it's not slimy, and that it feels like wet cotton or as suggested above steel wool. Either way, I got really bummed when I saw it.

 

[oncorhynchusmykiss]

Hard to tell from the angle but the second and the last picture look like the mo.

 

[Fishidiot]

Didymo is not slimy but rather rather has a course, wool-like feel.

Nevertheless, I'm not sure about the pic. Didymo is yellow and tends to bloom out this time of year on rocks....but this is also true for a variety of algeas. If it was local around Philly, I'd contact the PFBC and forward these pics via PM to Mike just to be safe. Didymo does exist in some eastern PA waters and may be spreading.

EDIT: I sent the link to Mike to check out. He may want to know the water involved. Jbomb, you might want to follow up by PMing Mike the name of the stream and area you fished.
Dave W

 

[pcray1231]

I've never seen or felt didymo, so take it for what it's worth. But my impression was that it LOOKED slimy, but if you actually picked it up it was not.

But yes, tis the season for algae blooms of all types.

 

[jbomb]

I'd be happy to PM Mike the location and creek. Is his screen name simply Mike?

 

[Fishidiot]

jbomb wrote:
I'd be happy to PM Mike the location and creek. Is his screen name simply Mike?

Yes, that's him. He's the Area Fisheries Manager for the southeast region.

 

[midgeman]

I've seen it have multiply colors in the Gunpowder and the Savage Rivers. As said above, it does feel course and not slippery to the hand.

The bloom on the Gun usually is bad during the winter. However, due to heavy flows this year, the bloom is not bad at all.

 

[troutbert]

Here's a link to a PFBC online form to report invasive species:

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/ais-reporting.htm

 

[Squaretail]

It seems every year around this time I start to see algae that raises this same question in my mind.
Probably not but its certainly best to make sure before you start fishing surrounding streams. I would just go back and feel it.

 

[jbomb]

I PMed Mike. I'll wait till i hear back from him before submitting the report.

 

[1wt]

SBecker wrote:
I always thought didymo was slimy. That is why it is called rock snot. No?

Me too! If sure looks like rock snot to me? Even if you call it by another name, it's algae and it wrecks the fishing? Probably polluted water with high nitrates?

FishIdiot, are you sure about this "steel wool" feel? And more importantly, do you get any money from the polluting pig farmers upstream from that creek?

 

[Chaz]

Longer days = more sun on the water at a higher angle=algae growth out the wazoo. Especially once the water starts to warm up over 40°. Then much of it goes away once the trees leaf out.

 

[geebee]

good man. don't forget to bleach your boots.

 

[skegfish]

Check out International Anglers website, they have a video there that shows the big " D " up close and personal. I think the shots are from eastern PA area. Good reference video! JEffinPA

 

[geebee]

Google says didmyo feels like welt felt or wet cotton wool.

I'd guess the difference between snot and normal slime is that the slimey nature of algae allows the suspension of and percolation through of oxygen, whereas didymo suffocates the stream bed .