Sea Fan

About

Found on Eastern Pacific reef slopes at depths between 20 and 35 meters, Pacifigorgia adamsii is a gorgonian sea fan documented from tropical waters off Costa Rica and the broader Central American Pacific coast. Like all gorgonians, it is a sessile octocoral, meaning it spends its life anchored to hard substrate and filter-feeds from the water column rather than relying on photosynthetic zooxanthellae the way many shallow-water corals do. In the aquarium, that feeding strategy is the most important thing to understand about keeping this animal. It needs a consistent supply of fine particulate foods and dissolved organics to thrive long-term. High flow is essential, both to deliver food particles across the fan's surface and to keep detritus from settling on its branches, which can lead to tissue recession. Moderate lighting is sufficient given its natural depth range. This is not a coral for casual setups; it rewards keepers who are already experienced with nutrient-rich, flow-heavy systems and have a reliable feeding regimen in place. Source data on this specific species is fairly limited in the hobby, so much of what applies here is drawn from gorgonian care in general. Approach it as an intermediate-to-advanced project.