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Thesea rubra is a deep-water gorgonian that copes very well with different water temperatures and salinity levels due to its deep distribution.
Thesea rubra is a small red fan with white polyps on the side edges of the flattened branches, which thicken at the tip, a real eye-catcher!
The colonies are densely branched in one plane, with the branches laterally compressed, with low warty calyxes arranged on the sides of the branches.
The colonies are red, which is due to the color of the large granular sclerites in the outer coenenchyma, resulting in a fine-grained surface
Thesea rubra has been recorded in the northeast and northwest Gulf of Mexico at depths of 64 - 837 meters (Etnoyer & Cairns, 2017).
This species has not been documented in U.S. waters outside the Gulf of Mexico (Cairns & Hourigan, 2017).
However, the type locality is in the Caribbean off the island of Carriacou (Grenada) at a depth of 216 meters, see (Deichmann, 1936)
Thesea rubra differs from other Thesea species by the presence of red sclerites in the outer coenenchyma and white sclerites in the inner coenenchyma.
Two species can easily be confused as Thesea rubra. Scleracis guadalupensis differs from Thesea rubra by the large cylindrical calyxes and the uniform thickness of the branches. Thesea granulosa can be distinguished microscopically by the different coloration of the sclerites, but also lacks the thickening at the distal tips.
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species-specific tank.
Feeding
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.
Literature reference:
Shuler AJ and PJ Etnoyer. (2020)
Alcyonacean octocorals of the Pinnacle Trend: A photo-identification guide.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS
282. 56 pp. doi:10.25923/xzd1-z382
Thesea rubra is a small red fan with white polyps on the side edges of the flattened branches, which thicken at the tip, a real eye-catcher!
The colonies are densely branched in one plane, with the branches laterally compressed, with low warty calyxes arranged on the sides of the branches.
The colonies are red, which is due to the color of the large granular sclerites in the outer coenenchyma, resulting in a fine-grained surface
Thesea rubra has been recorded in the northeast and northwest Gulf of Mexico at depths of 64 - 837 meters (Etnoyer & Cairns, 2017).
This species has not been documented in U.S. waters outside the Gulf of Mexico (Cairns & Hourigan, 2017).
However, the type locality is in the Caribbean off the island of Carriacou (Grenada) at a depth of 216 meters, see (Deichmann, 1936)
Thesea rubra differs from other Thesea species by the presence of red sclerites in the outer coenenchyma and white sclerites in the inner coenenchyma.
Two species can easily be confused as Thesea rubra. Scleracis guadalupensis differs from Thesea rubra by the large cylindrical calyxes and the uniform thickness of the branches. Thesea granulosa can be distinguished microscopically by the different coloration of the sclerites, but also lacks the thickening at the distal tips.
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species-specific tank.
Feeding
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.
Literature reference:
Shuler AJ and PJ Etnoyer. (2020)
Alcyonacean octocorals of the Pinnacle Trend: A photo-identification guide.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS
282. 56 pp. doi:10.25923/xzd1-z382
