Prof. Dr. Charles G. Messing, (†), USA
Info
Very specíal thanks for the first photo of Eunicea tayrona to Prof. Dr. Charles G. Messing, Nova Southeastern University, USA
Eunicea tayrona is a Caribbean gorgonian that forms bushy colonies, with evenly distributed dichotomous branches.
The branches are thin and irregularly curved, 3 - 5 mm thick, and taper towards the tip.
The gorgonian does not form slime.
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.
Colour: Greyish brown to light ochre, the polyps are brown.
Habitat: Shallow, semi-exposed reefs, leeward terraces and slope edges, along the nearshore hard bottom in Broward County, Florida, USA.
Distribution: South Florida and the entire Caribbean Sea.
Notes: Externally, Eunicea tayrona resembles Eunicea fusca, but does not show vegetative reproduction.
Eunicea tayrona was named after an extinct Colombian tribe, the Tayrona, who formerly lived in the Sierra Nevada, Colombia, along the Caribbean coast.
Imports or reports on husbandry experiences are missing.
Source: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/octocoral_e_tayrona/
Eunicea tayrona is a Caribbean gorgonian that forms bushy colonies, with evenly distributed dichotomous branches.
The branches are thin and irregularly curved, 3 - 5 mm thick, and taper towards the tip.
The gorgonian does not form slime.
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.
Colour: Greyish brown to light ochre, the polyps are brown.
Habitat: Shallow, semi-exposed reefs, leeward terraces and slope edges, along the nearshore hard bottom in Broward County, Florida, USA.
Distribution: South Florida and the entire Caribbean Sea.
Notes: Externally, Eunicea tayrona resembles Eunicea fusca, but does not show vegetative reproduction.
Eunicea tayrona was named after an extinct Colombian tribe, the Tayrona, who formerly lived in the Sierra Nevada, Colombia, along the Caribbean coast.
Imports or reports on husbandry experiences are missing.
Source: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/octocoral_e_tayrona/
