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Muricella paraplectana was discovered in 1999 in various deep channels and lagoons around New Caledonia and described by Manfred Grasshoff in his work "The shallow water gorgonians of New Caledonia and adjacent islands (Coelenterata: Octocorallia)" on page 34.
This sea fan is one of the rarer species and settles in areas with a continuous supply of plankton.
The color of the living gorgonian is a uniform light brown.
Divers with good eyes or first-class underwater cameras have made a very nice discovery in the large sea fan gorgonian, the pygmy seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti, which has adapted perfectly to the coral tissue of the sea fan gorgonian in terms of color and with a multitude of small tubercles and has found a permanent home there.
The dense, filter-like structure of the gorgonian is an ideal habitat for the dwarf seahorse, as the tissue of the gorgonian collects enough small invertebrates for the seahorse to feed on.
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species-specific tank.
Feeding
The majority of gorgonians do not have zooxanthellae and do not live off light. Azooxanthellate gorgonians do not host symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy through photosynthesis.
The pumps should be switched off before feeding. In order for the gorgonian to survive in the aquarium, each individual polyp must be fed sufficiently, i.e. daily or 3-4 times a week. Without feeding, the gorgonian will not survive in the aquarium. The polyps need a certain amount of time to absorb the food (granules or dust food (Ultramarin, Cyclop Eeze) or frozen food (lobster eggs, mysis)). If shrimp and fish are present, they will try to steal the food, so it is essential to feed these cohabitants beforehand.
Newly introduced gorgonian sticks can be stimulated with a liquid food, e.g., PolypLab Polyp, to encourage the individual polyps to open. Only then can feeding be carried out.
The better the individual polyps take up the food provided, the better the growth and reproduction rates will be.
Azooxanthellate corals eat suspensions, marine snow, microplankton, and other organic matter, which is their natural food.
The small seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti WHITLEY 1970 also occurs in a yellowish-brown variant on the sea fans.
This sea fan is one of the rarer species and settles in areas with a continuous supply of plankton.
The color of the living gorgonian is a uniform light brown.
Divers with good eyes or first-class underwater cameras have made a very nice discovery in the large sea fan gorgonian, the pygmy seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti, which has adapted perfectly to the coral tissue of the sea fan gorgonian in terms of color and with a multitude of small tubercles and has found a permanent home there.
The dense, filter-like structure of the gorgonian is an ideal habitat for the dwarf seahorse, as the tissue of the gorgonian collects enough small invertebrates for the seahorse to feed on.
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species-specific tank.
Feeding
The majority of gorgonians do not have zooxanthellae and do not live off light. Azooxanthellate gorgonians do not host symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy through photosynthesis.
The pumps should be switched off before feeding. In order for the gorgonian to survive in the aquarium, each individual polyp must be fed sufficiently, i.e. daily or 3-4 times a week. Without feeding, the gorgonian will not survive in the aquarium. The polyps need a certain amount of time to absorb the food (granules or dust food (Ultramarin, Cyclop Eeze) or frozen food (lobster eggs, mysis)). If shrimp and fish are present, they will try to steal the food, so it is essential to feed these cohabitants beforehand.
Newly introduced gorgonian sticks can be stimulated with a liquid food, e.g., PolypLab Polyp, to encourage the individual polyps to open. Only then can feeding be carried out.
The better the individual polyps take up the food provided, the better the growth and reproduction rates will be.
Azooxanthellate corals eat suspensions, marine snow, microplankton, and other organic matter, which is their natural food.
The small seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti WHITLEY 1970 also occurs in a yellowish-brown variant on the sea fans.
