Jetty Sea Whip/Gorgonian Info

[ReefyEm]

Hi all! I've been going snorkeling on the Port A jetties the past few weekends and then twice this week with my classes (A&MCC). We have been collecting orange/yellow gorgonians or sea whips from about 10-12ft. down and after discussing them with my professor, I may do my thesis project on them. I have been trying to find out information on them but need to know what genus they are, or anything else about them.

Has anyone who has collected down there identified them? Did anyone keep them in their aquarium and if so, how did they do? Photosynthetic or not?

Thanks for your help!

Emily

[jtxstate]

Fun! From what i know, they are non photosytheitc filter feeders and need a good amount of flow to feed and keep the algae off. I have a purple gorgonian in my tank. Good luck if you want to get rid of some that you have collected, hit me up.

[ReefyEm]

Thanks. We collected one for our invert zoo collection and then I got one today as our first sample. If you're ever out there they're easy to find right now though.

[Marlin]

I tried growing them in my tank, but they only survived for a month or two. The one that lived the longest was in the refugium. I think the lower light and higher nutrients contributed to it lasting longer. Let us know if you have success, they are very nice looking when they have all their polips extended.

[ReefyEm]

Ok. I found out they are a Leptogorgia species if that helps. Marlin, thanks for the info. What color were the polyps? Did you keep any of the commensal snails on them?

[GaryP]

We found a ton of the purple ones when we at Port A during the collecting trip in July. I found clumps of them attached to chunks of substrate. I have never heard of anyone keeping them alive long term. My best guess is that it will take a continuous drip of live phytoplankton (green water) to keep them alive. I'm thinking of something along the lines of the species tanks that a very few individuals have set up to successfully keep carnation corals alive.

Good luck and please report back.

[ReefyEm]

Thanks Gary. Every bit of information I can get is appreciated. We're going to try a few things in the lab with them and see what works best. I'll let you know. In the meantime, if anyone sees or knows anything about these, please let me know :)

[GaryP]

If you get this worked out I think it may be applicable to a lot of obligate plankton feeder corals. I've always wanted to do a tank that was nothing but carnation corals and gorgonians. I just don't have the room to create a constant supply of green water for them.

[apedroza]

We use to keep these in our lab at Texas state (SWT). We kept them alive using the water from the bay that we hauled back in giant drums and it seemed to do very well with tons of current. The water was never really clear which I think helped them because the polyps always seemed t be extended. The lighting used was just low level Normal output flourescent tubes and the temp was a cool 68 degrees. I tried to keep a few under regular tank conditions at home, but I think the shock of the MH and warmer water was too much.

[Marlin]

The ones I tried to raise were bright banana yellow. The polips were light yellow. Very nice looking, but did not like reef tank conditions.

[JimD]

I wonder how they would do in a high nitrate/low light environment like a trigger tank....

[apedroza]

Did you find them wash up on the beach or still attached in the water?? I 've noticed that the ones that are washed up generally are already opn their last leg and don't survive.

[Marlin]

The ones I had I found were freshly washed up on the beach. I put them into a bucket of salt water and took them home. When I put them in the bucket, they immeadiately opened their polips. They were completely whole and attached to a substrate. I couldn't see any damage so I think they were healthy. When I put them in the tank, they extended their polips and looked great for a while and eventually I think they starved to death for lack of proper food. They survived for a month or two.