Caribbean Sea Plume Care Guide
Pseudoplexaura porosa, the Caribbean sea plume, is a tall photosynthetic gorgonian with feather-like branching, a hardy choice for high-flow marine tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pseudoplexaura porosa is a tall Caribbean photosynthetic gorgonian, an octocoral known as a sea plume for its feather-like branching. Like other gorgonians it is a colony of polyps, each with eight pinnate tentacles, on a flexible axis, and it is considered a hardy gorgonian suitable for beginners.
Taxonomy
- Family: Plexauridae
- Genus: Pseudoplexaura
- Scientific name: Pseudoplexaura porosa (Houttuyn, 1772)
- Class: Octocorallia; Order: Malacalcyonacea
- WoRMS AphiaID: 290881 (accepted)
Habitat and biology
The species occurs on Caribbean reefs. It is zooxanthellate, drawing most of its energy from photosynthetic symbionts, with polyps that also catch plankton. As a flexible branched gorgonian it is adapted to shallow areas with strong water movement.
Aquarium care
Pseudoplexaura porosa is a passive, reef-, shrimp- and fish-safe coral and one of the more forgiving gorgonians for newcomers. Strong light is not required, but high flow is essential to prevent detritus settling on the colony. It is best added to an established tank of at least about three months.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- Salinity: 1.024-1.026 SG
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity (dKH): 8-11
- Calcium: 380-450 ppm; Magnesium: 1280-1350 ppm
- Nitrate: ≤15 ppm; Phosphate: ≤0.1 ppm
- Lighting: 75-175 PAR (medium); Flow: high
- Growth rate: 0.3-1 cm per month (tree-like)
Feeding
Besides photosynthesis, the colony benefits from supplemental amino acids and phytoplankton, filtered from the water along with natural plankton.
Propagating Pseudoplexaura porosa (Caribbean Sea Plume)
Overview
Pseudoplexaura porosa is a tree-like, upright gorgonian native to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, ranging from Bermuda and Florida to Colombia. Colonies grow tall, with a trunk up to about 5 cm thick and dichotomous branching that repeatedly forks into equal pairs. The tissue is pale yellow, tan or reddish-purple, and each polyp bears eight tentacles.
Reproductive Mode
This species is photosynthetic: its tissues host symbiotic zooxanthellae that supply nutrients, so colonies derive much of their energy from light. In nature it reproduces both sexually, by spawning gametes, and asexually, by budding new polyps and through fragmentation. Detached pieces are able to establish new colonies, which is the basis for aquarium propagation.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Because detached fragments can re-establish, this gorgonian is propagated by cutting a healthy branch and remounting it. Use sharp shears to take a branch tip, then secure the cutting to rubble or a plug with reef glue. Photosynthetic gorgonian branches encrust onto plugs quickly, anchoring the new frag.
- Select a healthy branch on a colony with no tissue recession.
- Cut a branch tip cleanly with sharp shears.
- Mount the cutting in rubble or onto a plug with reef glue.
- Place under moderate light and strong flow so the mucus membrane is shed.
Feeding & Conditions for Propagation
As a zooxanthellate gorgonian, P. porosa relies mainly on light and does not require heavy target feeding. It thrives in areas of strong current, where its branches flex with water movement; good flow also helps the colony shed the thin mucus membrane that gorgonians periodically slough off, keeping the new frag clean while it heals.
Sexual Reproduction
Mature colonies spawn gametes on specific nights, reported around five days after the summer full moon. Larvae are not practical to rear in home aquaria, so hobbyist propagation relies on fragmentation rather than sexual reproduction.
Common Challenges
In the wild, the main cause of mortality is storm-related detachment rather than disease, and colonies can live for decades. In aquaria, insufficient flow can leave the persistent mucus film in place, encouraging algae or cyanobacteria on the new frag, so adequate current and clean water are the key conditions for successful healing.