Dr. Gabriel Genzano, Argentinien
Info
Very special thanks to Dr. Gabriel Genzano, Argentina for his photos of this endemic gorgonian.
Tripalea clavaria is a species known so far only from the coast of the city of Mar del Plata in Argentina.
Colonies of Tripalea clavaria have a finger-shaped appearance, usually without branching, and are orange or pink in color.
Tripalea clavaria colonies are attached directly to rocks or, to a lesser extent, to molluscan shells at depths of > 14 m.
Tripalea clavaria is a zooplanktivorous gorgonian that feeds on a variety of organisms, especially larvae of the blue mussel Mytilus platensis d'Orbigny, 1842 (formerly Mytilus edulis platensi).
Female colonies are encountered much more frequently than male colonies, which could only be identified from February to June when sperm were present.
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.
Synonym: Suberia clavaria Studer, 1878
Tripalea clavaria is a species known so far only from the coast of the city of Mar del Plata in Argentina.
Colonies of Tripalea clavaria have a finger-shaped appearance, usually without branching, and are orange or pink in color.
Tripalea clavaria colonies are attached directly to rocks or, to a lesser extent, to molluscan shells at depths of > 14 m.
Tripalea clavaria is a zooplanktivorous gorgonian that feeds on a variety of organisms, especially larvae of the blue mussel Mytilus platensis d'Orbigny, 1842 (formerly Mytilus edulis platensi).
Female colonies are encountered much more frequently than male colonies, which could only be identified from February to June when sperm were present.
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.
Synonym: Suberia clavaria Studer, 1878
