Sea Plume

About

Sea plume (Antillogorgia elisabethae) is a soft gorgonian coral native to the Western Atlantic, where it grows across shallow to mid-depth reef environments from just below the surface down to around 23 meters. In the wild it forms tall, branching colonies with a distinctly feathery profile. The lateral branches extend in a way that gives the whole colony an almost fern-like silhouette. Coloration typically runs through shades of purple, yellow, and gray, with tiny polyps lining each branch and opening to feed when flow conditions are right. In the aquarium it performs best with robust, consistent water movement, which mimics the surge and current it experiences on exposed Caribbean reefs. Lighting needs sit in the moderate range, and like most photosynthetic gorgonians it hosts zooxanthellae to supplement its nutrition, though supplemental feeding with fine particulate foods is worthwhile for long-term health. This is an intermediate-level coral. Not the most demanding gorgonian out there, but it does expect stable water quality and won't tolerate neglect the way some hardier softies might. Reef safe with standard caveats about placement, it works well as a vertical focal point in a suitably sized Caribbean biotope or mixed reef setup.