Kary Mar
Info
Melithaea splendens is a beautiful azooxanthellate fan coral that grows in dimly lit caves and under rocky overhangs, where it always points its branches into the current so that its polyps can easily capture drifting plankton.
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 coloration of the Magnificent Fan ranges from reddish, orange to purple, with the small white to yellowish polyps standing out clearly.
The fan-shaped coral is mainly found in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, the photo of Dr. Karine Marangon is from the sea around the Philippines, so the distribution of the sea fan may be larger than previously thought.
Synonyms:
Acabaria crosslandi Stiasny, 1938
Acabaria crosslandi var. hicksoni Stiasny, 1938
Acabaria splendens (Thomson & McQueen, 1908)
Melitodes splendens Thomson & McQueen, 1908
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 coloration of the Magnificent Fan ranges from reddish, orange to purple, with the small white to yellowish polyps standing out clearly.
The fan-shaped coral is mainly found in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, the photo of Dr. Karine Marangon is from the sea around the Philippines, so the distribution of the sea fan may be larger than previously thought.
Synonyms:
Acabaria crosslandi Stiasny, 1938
Acabaria crosslandi var. hicksoni Stiasny, 1938
Acabaria splendens (Thomson & McQueen, 1908)
Melitodes splendens Thomson & McQueen, 1908
