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How does it look like?
It is an orange-colored gorgonian, sometimes yellow, arborescent, not very branched. It measures from 20 to 60 centimeters and can reach 100 cm. The main branches are flattened, while the lateral branches are thinner and with a toothed appearance. They have small white polyps arranged in two lateral rows along the entire length of the branch.
Where does it live?
It normally lives at a depth of about 15-30 meters, in dark and rocky areas. On top of these gorgonians it is possible to find animals such as the nudibranch Candiella odhneri or the gastropod Simnia spelta, which feeds on its polyps.
How does it feed?
It feeds on small prey, which is why it lives in waters with a large amount of food particles in suspension.
How does it reproduce?
Like all cnidarians it has two forms of reproduction, asexual and sexual. In asexual reproduction, the colony divides into two or more individuals that are released into the environment. In sexual reproduction, there is a fusion of eggs and sperm, forming larvae called planulae that are released into the environment.
Is a confusion possible?
Maybe a confusion is possible with Eunicella cavolini. One clearly distinctive detail is that at L.sarmentosa the colonys skeleton becomes thinner, the more it reaches to the outer parts of the colony.
Curiosities
· A synonym that is no longer valid for this species is Lophogorgia ceratophyta.
Taxonomy
Phylum: Cnidaria, Subphylum: Anthozoa, Class: Octocorallia, Order: Malacalcyonacea, Family: Gorgoniidae, Genus: Leptogorgia |
