Purple sea fan
Gorgonia ventalina
Also known as Common Sea Fan
SaltwaterCoral
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F
- 23–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 70.9 in
- 180 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Photosynthetic
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Gorgoniidae
- Origin
- Shallow Caribbean and western Atlantic reefs, Florida to the Bahamas and the wider Caribbean
Overview
The purple sea fan is a peaceful, photosynthetic gorgonian that grows as a flat purple fan. It is easy to keep in a tall, bright tank with strong flow.
Caring for the purple sea fan
Anchor the base of the purple sea fan upright in a bright, open spot, in a tank of at least 53 gal (200 L). Give it strong, ideally turbulent flow, since the flat fan collects algae and sediment quickly in weak current. It grows slowly for its potential size, but plan for a tall tank if you want to see the fan shape develop.
Keep the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Like the other photosynthetic Caribbean gorgonians, it gets most of its energy from light rather than captured food. Give aquacultured colonies occasional feedings of fine plankton foods. It is peaceful and reef safe, and it will not sting or bother any tank mate.
Good to know
The purple sea fan is the species most people picture when they hear the word gorgonian. Linnaeus described it in 1758, and it is still accepted as Gorgonia ventalina in the family Gorgoniidae. A flexible skeleton of the protein gorgonin supports the fan. Its fine side branches fuse together, or anastomose, into the characteristic mesh. It hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae.
In the wild
The purple sea fan is the classic Caribbean sea fan. It is common on shallow fore reefs and hardbottom from Florida and the Bahamas through the wider Caribbean. Each colony grows as a single flat lattice, set broadside to the prevailing surge so the whole fan strains the passing water. Large wild fans can stand well over a meter tall and sway constantly with the swell.
Common questions
What size tank does a purple sea fan need?
A purple sea fan needs at least 53 gal (200 L).
What temperature and pH does a purple sea fan need?
A purple sea fan is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a purple sea fan eat?
A purple sea fan gets most of its energy from light rather than captured food. Give aquacultured colonies occasional feedings of fine plankton foods.
How big does a purple sea fan get?
An adult purple sea fan reaches about 70.9 in (180 cm).
Related species
17.7 in (45 cm)26 gal (100 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Purple sea plume
Antillogorgia bipinnata
17.7 in (45 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)
11.8 in (30 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Sea fan gorgonian
Rumphella
11.8 in (30 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
59.1 in (150 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Tangerine sea fan
Annella sp.
59.1 in (150 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)