Red gorgonians, large cornea

Red gorgonians build large colonies of up to 100 cm, with a thick branching on one plane. At each branch are irregularly spaced polyps, growing up to 8 mm. The average growth rate of colonies is 12-60 mm per year. They are usually purple, sometimes pale in color and in the same colony they can be found of both colors. In this case the central part of the colony is purple, and the edges transcends to pale yellow and orange. When the colonies dry out on surface, they shrink rapidly, becoming gray, dull, resembling burned matches. When they are immersed to alcohol they quickly change color to light green, or brown. The polyps of this coral build dark red or purple colonies in the form of a fan tree. They are about 1 cm long and have 8 arms. The inner part is horny, and the surface is soft, slimy coating in which the polyps are stored. They grow on the steep rocky walls at depths of 20-150 m where they can feed on plankton brought in by strong sea currents.

Crvena gorgonija, velika rožnjača

Gradi kolonije velike do 100 cm, s debelim razgranjenjima u jednoj ravnini. Na svakoj grani se nalaze nepravilno raspoređeni polipi, visine do 8 mm. Prosječna stopa rasta kolonije je 12-60 mm godišnje. Najčešće su tamnoljubičaste, ponekad svjetložute boje, u istoj koloniji se mogu naći i obje boje. U ovom slučaju centralni dio kolonije je ljubičast, a prema rubovima prelazi u svjetložutu do narančastu boju. Kada se osuše kolonije se brzo stisnu, postanu sive, bez sjaja, slične izgorenim šibicama. U alkoholu brzo promijeni boju u svjetlozelenu ili smeđu. Polipi ovoga koralja grade kolonije u obliku razgranatog lepezastog stabla tamno crvene ili ljubičaste boje. Veliki oko 1 cm i imaju 8 lovki. Unutarnji dio mu je rožnat, a na površini se nalazi mekana sluzava ovojnica u kojoj se nalaze polipi. Nalazi se na strmim stjenovitim zidovima, na mjestima gdje su jače morske struje, na dubinama od 20 do 150 m. Hrani se planktonom koji mu donosi morska struja.

Benthos

Crvena gorgonija, velika rožnjača

Red gorgonians, large cornea

Crvena gorgonija, velika rožnjača