Gorilla ogo is a fast-growing brittle seaweed that is native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean. It is popular in Asian cuisine and was introduced for aquaculture to Oʻahu in 1974 in Kāneʻohe Bay and Waikiki. This limu was originally used to produce Agar, a jelly-like substance obtained from proteins in the plant and used as a gelatin or thickener. In the wild with no native predators, this ogo flourished and took over reef flats forming thick large mats that kill coral and other native limu. It is considered a pest and invasive species.

Gorilla ogo is a brittle seaweed with cylindrical branches that grows into thick intertwining mats up to 15 cm (3 inches) thick. It turns yellowish in sunny spots and dark green or brownish in shaded areas. It is often used as a crunchy addition to homemade poke or seaweed salad in Hawai’i. It can also be used to fertilize gardens.