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Leptogorgia diffusa forms rather small, loose colonies with branches arising from a single basal stem.
The in situ photo shows a gorgonian with relatively few and not very closely spaced branches, on page 33 of the paper "A revision of the genus Leptogorgia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) in the eastern Pacific" a much denser colony is shown, which in this form can capture fine zooplankton from the current much more effectively.
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.
The floppy looking flattened branches, the large polyps that create a zigzag appearance, and the brick red coloration are distinct characteristics for this species of gorgonian.
The appearance of branching and the arrangement of the polyps with a serrated or zigzag arrangement are other identifying characteristics of this horn coral.
Naming:
The Latin word "diffuses" means "spreading," perhaps referring to the open, shrubby appearance the branches produce.
Synonym: Litigorgia diffusa Verrill, 1868
The in situ photo shows a gorgonian with relatively few and not very closely spaced branches, on page 33 of the paper "A revision of the genus Leptogorgia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae) in the eastern Pacific" a much denser colony is shown, which in this form can capture fine zooplankton from the current much more effectively.
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.
The floppy looking flattened branches, the large polyps that create a zigzag appearance, and the brick red coloration are distinct characteristics for this species of gorgonian.
The appearance of branching and the arrangement of the polyps with a serrated or zigzag arrangement are other identifying characteristics of this horn coral.
Naming:
The Latin word "diffuses" means "spreading," perhaps referring to the open, shrubby appearance the branches produce.
Synonym: Litigorgia diffusa Verrill, 1868
