Green Encrusting Gorgonian - Briareum sp.

Encrusting Gorgonians can appear in several forms and colors. These corals grow in a mat that can be purple or brown in color and can either grow in sheets, columns or tangled strands. The polyps can be green, white or brown in coloration. Encrusting Gorgonians can be easily fragged by cutting the mat apart and pieces of the mat may sometimes fall off of the main colony.

These corals are often confused with Star Polyps and Pipe Organ Corals, which all have similar polyp shape. When the polyps are expanded and obscure the underlying structure they can be difficult to distinguish at first glance. Two genera are usually known as "Encrusting Gorgonians" or as "Star Polyps" - Briareum sp. and Pachyclavularia sp.. The differences between the two are small and it has been suggested that Pachyclavularia may be a synonym of and may eventually be reclassified as Briareum. Briareum sp. is usually classified by a brown or tan base, while Pachyclavularia sp. usually has a brighter purple base.

Gorgonians need moderate to high lighting and moderate to high water movement. Under the right conditions they will grow quickly in a home aquarium and can overgrow other corals that may be placed too close to them. To ensure this does not happen, give this coral ample room to expand and grow. Invertebrate food such as Cyclop-eeze, MicroVert, or Marine Snow are recommended as supplemental food sources for these filter feeders.