TankBud

Purple sea plume

Antillogorgia bipinnata

Also known as Purple Frilly Gorgonian, Sea Plume, Feather Gorgonian, Bipinnate Sea Plume, Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata

SaltwaterCoral

Purple sea plume (Antillogorgia bipinnata)
(c) Jay Brasher, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
17.7 in
45 cm
Minimum tank
26 gal
100 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Gorgoniidae
Origin
Native to shallow Caribbean and western Atlantic reefs, including Florida, the Bahamas, and the wider tropical Atlantic.

Overview

The purple sea plume is a feathery gorgonian for a bright reef with strong flow. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The purple sea plume's color comes from pigments in the rind over its flexible protein skeleton.

Caring for the purple sea plume

Anchor the base of the purple sea plume in rock, in a reef of 26 gal (100 L) or larger. Give it bright light and strong, preferably turbulent flow to keep the branches clean. Keep the flow high enough that no film algae settles on the stalk, since that is the usual cause of tissue loss.

It is one of the hardier gorgonians because it photosynthesizes, making much of its own food from light. It still does best with phytoplankton fed a few times a week. Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4, and keep pH and salinity stable.

The purple sea plume is peaceful and reef safe, and it frags very easily. Snip off a branch with scissors and glue it to a rock, and it will usually root and grow. That makes it one of the easiest corals to propagate at home.

Good to know

The purple sea plume, Antillogorgia bipinnata, was known for many years as Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata. Atlantic sea plumes moved into the genus Antillogorgia in 2012. It grows upright as a bushy, feathery plume, with a purple to lavender trunk and fine side branches. Small polyps open along the branches and give the colony a soft, fuzzy outline when feeding. Unlike many colorful non-photosynthetic gorgonians, it carries symbiotic zooxanthellae in its tissue. Its common name comes from the way it sways in the current like a plume of feathers.

In the wild

The purple sea plume is native to shallow Caribbean and western Atlantic reefs, including Florida, the Bahamas and the wider tropical Atlantic. Colonies there can reach a foot or more tall.

Common questions

What size tank does a purple sea plume need?

A purple sea plume needs at least 26 gal (100 L).

What temperature and pH does a purple sea plume need?

A purple sea plume is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a purple sea plume eat?

A purple sea plume photosynthesizes and makes much of its own food from light. It still does best with phytoplankton fed a few times a week.

How big does a purple sea plume get?

An adult purple sea plume reaches about 17.7 in (45 cm).

Related species