Gorgonian ID

[LisaAP]

Hi there, I purchased frags of this gorgonian almost 4 months ago from a fellow reefer. Does anybody here keep the same and do you have any idea what species it might be? Thanks!

 

[shred5]

Not sure what type but it is certainly looks Non photosynthetic kind which mean it will need food.


If so it probably in the Menella species or possibly Leptogorgia chilensis

 

[LisaAP]

not sure what type but it is certainly looks Non photosynthetic kind which mean it will need food.

Probably in the Menella species or possibly Leptogorgia chilensis

Thanks! I did think it could be Leptogorgia chilensis, unfortunately it's too small to know the growth form at this point.

 

[shred5]

Thanks! I did think it could be Leptogorgia chilensis, unfortunately it's too small to know the growth form at this point.

Yea that is the issue hard to judge size too.

I would recommend rotifers or bbs as a good food.

I have never kept them but from my understanding they are a little bit easier compared to some of the other NPS gorgonia.

 

[Alexopora]

I have been reading around on nps gorgonian feeding and I do see some advice on feeding them a mixture of phytos, zoos (rotifers) and powdered food. I just got a nps gorgonian and have been trying out this blend (brightwells Phyto-S, reef roids, rotifers, mysis supernate solution). Will have to wait and let time tell to see if this blend works.

 

[Alexopora]

Here’s mine. Yellow with purple polyps.

 

[LisaAP]

Here’s mine. Yellow with purple polyps.

That's lovely, is it Guaiagorgia sp.?

Yea that is the issue hard to judge size too.

I would recommend rotifers or bbs as a good food.

I have never kept them but from my understanding they are a little bit easier compared to some of the other NPS gorgonia.

Yes, that is what I was told by the reefer who supplied it. I have Menella sp. (yellow polyps) too which is one of the easier species. It's shown moderate growth in the time that I've had it.

 

[Silent]

@Dr. Dendrostein might have the answer you are looking for.

 

[Alexopora]

That's lovely, is it Guaiagorgia sp.?


Yes, that is what I was told by the reefer who supplied it. I have Menella sp. (yellow polyps) too which is one of the easier species. It's shown moderate growth in the time that I've had it.

To be honest, I’m not really sure. I searched up Guaiagorgia but so far the images does not resemble what I have. How I wish there was like a data base where we could just upload photos of out corals and have it come up with possible matches.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like purple ribbon
I have some like it

 

[LisaAP]

To be honest, I’m not really sure. I searched up Guaiagorgia but so far the images does not resemble what I have. How I wish there was like a data base where we could just upload photos of out corals and have it come up with possible matches.

Yeah that would be very helpful.

 

[LisaAP]

Looks like purple ribbon
I have some like it

Are you referring to the gorgonian that I have or the one that @Alexxxx is keeping? Do you know the Latin name?

 

[shred5]

Are you referring to the gorgonian that I have or the one that @Alexxxx is keeping? Do you know the Latin name?

Pterogorgia anceps and it is not that. Those are also photosynthetic.
I do not think it is that.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

To be honest, I’m not really sure. I searched up Guaiagorgia but so far the images does not resemble what I have. How I wish there was like a data base where we could just upload photos of out corals and have it come up with possible matches.

Any recent pictures. Thx

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

@Dr. Dendrostein might have the answer you are looking for.

You rang.

 

[LisaAP]

Pterogorgia anceps and it is not that. Those are also photosynthetic.
I do not think it is that.

No I don’t think it’s that either. The branches are circular with polyps all around and not flattened with polyps along the edges.

 

[shred5]

Here’s mine. Yellow with purple polyps.

Really hard to tell from that picture. Not sure it is even Non Photosynthetic.
The bare tips could be from something else like being stung but also could be lack of food.

I have been reading around on nps gorgonian feeding and I do see some advice on feeding them a mixture of phytos, zoos (rotifers) and powdered food. I just got a nps gorgonian and have been trying out this blend (brightwells Phyto-S, reef roids, rotifers, mysis supernate solution). Will have to wait and let time tell to see if this blend works.

I am not sure how much phyto benefits corals. I know studies have found phyto in gorgonians gut but it also could have been from what they ate. Corals really are considered carnivores and eat zooplankton. Would phyto even trigger a feeding response? There may be some benefit to phyto and some people do feel phyto may be taken by some NPS corals and gorgonia. I keep tons of gorgonia and I do feed phyto if anything else it feeds stuff gorgonia feed on.

 

[Alexopora]

Really hard to tell from that picture. Not sure it is even Non Photosynthetic.
The bare tips could be from something else like being stung but also could be lack of food.

I am not sure how much phyto benefits corals. I know studies have found phyto in gorgonians gut but it also could have been from what they ate. Corals really are considered carnivores and eat zooplankton. Would phyto even trigger a feeding response? There may be some benefit to phyto and some people do feel phyto may be taken by some NPS corals and gorgonia. I keep tons of gorgonia and I do feed phyto if anything else it feeds stuff gorgonia feed on.

The bare parts are actually the parts which didnt make it during shipping so i snipped most of it off. But I didnt snip it of cleanly hence why some of the bare parts remain.

 

[Alexopora]

Any recent pictures. Thx

Here’s some clearer pictures of it

 

[dennis romano]

I am pretty sure that Lisa's is Diodogorgia from the Caribbean. Judging from the color of the main branch, the raised calyces(the polyp base) and the very large polyps. When the polyps retract, if you see dark bumps where the polyps were, then that it confirms it. It is non-photosynthetic.