Divers know this Indo-Pacific fan from deeper reef walls, at about 20-45 m, as a home of the pygmy seahorse. No zooxanthellae live in its tissue, so light gives it nothing and it has to be fed fine plankton foods on a frequent schedule. What we know of its biology rests on a reef reference and not on a primary study, so use the care here as a starting point.
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Densely branched sea fan. One reef reference gives up to about 120 cm; no primary size figure was found.
Lifespan
—
Social needs
solo
Native region
Indo-Pacific
Origin
Old World
Climate
Tropical
Water type
Marine
Family
Anthogorgiidae
Genus
Muricella
Part of the Soft Corals
Soft corals such as leathers, colt, cloves, Anthelia, gorgonians and Sympodium. Octocorals with flexible, often swaying colonies and eight-tentacled polyps, and no stony skeleton. Many are hardy, beginner-friendly reef corals driven by photosynthesis and tolerant of a wide range of light, flow and nutrients, but some gorgonians have no algae of their own and depend on regular feeding, so check eac
Keep it in low light with strong flow, set so the current passes through the fan. In the wild it grows on sloping to vertical reef faces at about 20 to 45 m, away from bright light.
Keep stable reef water: SG about 1.025, 24-27 °C (75-81 °F), pH 8.1-8.4, alkalinity 8-11 dKH, calcium 400-450 ppm and magnesium 1250-1350 ppm.
Substrate
Attach the base to rock in a shaded spot with reef-safe gel glue or underwater epoxy. A sloping or vertical position suits its wild habit.
Equipment & setup
Low lighting is enough. Provide strong flow from one or more powerheads, a capable protein skimmer for the feeding load, and a regular feeding routine.
Diet
Must be fed. It does not use light. Wild colonies strain particles, marine snow and microplankton from passing water. Offer fine plankton foods at least several times a week, and daily if your system can export the nutrients, feeding into the current while the polyps are open.
Behavior & temperament
The tight, mesh-like branches work as a filter, gathering fine particles and tiny invertebrates for the fan and the small animals on it. The pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) lives on these fans without harming them and matches their colour. That partnership is a wild one, and the fan does not need a guest to do well.
Health
Starvation is the main risk, because nothing here comes from light. Algae or cyanobacteria settling on the dense branches can kill the tissue beneath, and the tight mesh traps debris where flow is weak. Keep the whole fan in moving water.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Commit to frequent feeding before taking this on. Point the broad face of the fan into the current so water runs through the mesh. Published aquarium experience is thin, so watch polyp response and adjust.
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Tropical
Marine