Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants What do I have here?

From the slightly blurry and distant photo of the plant it highly resembles coontail aka hornwort and technically as Ceratophyllum demersum. It produces branches and the individual needlelike 'leaves' around the stem should have some tiny toothed edges or margins. leaves are often crowded near the ends or tips. You will read that technically it does not have true roots, but can be loosely anchored to the bottom. It grows primarily by from coarse winter buds produced in fall and also fragmentation. It grows quickly to form dense mats. It does create good habitat for small fish and invertebrates so reduction is actually better than elimination. Scuds thrive in it. Grass carp (GC will eat it).

http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Ceratophyllum+demersum

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/coontail.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqmHUrBwohA