AquaticCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: Low

Red finger gorgonian

Diodogorgia nodulifera · also called Colourful sea rod, Red sea finger, Yellow finger gorgonian

A small, vividly coloured gorgonian of deep water off Florida and the Caribbean, with a few brittle, finger-shaped branches. Without zooxanthellae it cannot use light at all, so every bit of energy has to come from fine plankton foods offered at least several times a week, and that workload puts it in experienced hands. It is easily mixed up with the corky sea finger (Briareum asbestinum), a photosynthetic animal with very different needs.

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Quick facts

Size	Small, sparsely branched colony, usually under about 25 cm (10 in) tall. Field guides give 10-30 cm.
Lifespan	—
Social needs	solo
Native region	Southeastern United States, Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and northern South America
Origin	New World
Climate	Tropical
Water type	Marine
Family	Spongiodermidae
Genus	Diodogorgia

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

Anthelia (Waving Hand Polyps)Black sea rod Blueberry sea fan Cabbage Leather Coral Clove Polyps Colt Coral Devil's Hand Leather Finger leather coral Gorgonian Sea Fan Green star polyps Grooved-blade sea whip Isoxya sea fan Kenya tree coral Knobby sea rod +7 more →

Color & pattern variants

Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.

Natural

Red Finger Gorgonian →

The red colour phase, with darker red calyces and white polyps.

Orange Finger Gorgonian →

From the orange-yellow colour phase, with red calyces and white polyps.

Yellow Finger Gorgonian →

From the orange-yellow colour phase, with red calyces and white polyps.

Maroon Finger Gorgonian →

A darker shade named for its maroon colour. Nothing further is recorded about it.

Habitat & enclosure

Keep it low in the tank or in shade with moderate to strong flow. It lives on deep hard bottom and fore-reef slopes, mostly below about 35 m, with overall records from roughly 12 to 180 m. Low light is not a compromise here, as it helps hold back algae on the branches.

Keep stable reef water: SG about 1.025, 22-26 °C (72-78 °F), pH 8.1-8.4, alkalinity 8-11 dKH, calcium 400-450 ppm and magnesium 1250-1350 ppm.

Substrate

Attach the base firmly to rock low in the tank with underwater epoxy or reef-safe gel glue. Hold it only by the base while you do this.

Equipment & setup

It needs no special lighting. Put the effort into flow and nutrient export: one or more powerheads for moderate to strong water movement, a capable protein skimmer and a feeding routine you can keep up.

Diet

Must be fed. It does not use light. All of its energy comes from what it catches. Fine foods made for filter feeders, micro-plankton and baby brine shrimp are the staples. Feed at least several times a week, and daily if your system can cope, since one care reference asks for several small feeds a day. Aim food into the current while the polyps are open, and expect this much food to raise nutrients.

Behavior & temperament

Two colour phases exist: one is orange-yellow with red calyces, the other red with calyces of a darker red, and both carry white polyps. The branches are brittle and snap easily, so handle it by the base. It is peaceful and needs space away from aggressive corals and anemones.

Health

Starvation is the usual failure, and it can be slow. The other main danger is cyanobacteria or algae on the branches, which can kill the tissue beneath, and heavy feeding makes both more likely. Keep flow up, lift film off gently and watch nutrients closely.

Tips, DIY & hacks

Take this one on only if you can feed on a fixed schedule for the long term. Keep it out of bright light. The word finger is no guide to care, because a knobby sea finger is a light-dependent Eunicea and the corky sea finger is photosynthetic too.