Kary Mar
Info
Melithaea nodosa is a rather small horn coral, about which there is also only sparse information in the scientific literature.
The species was first described in 1889 by Wright and Studer from Sagami Bay, Japan and the New Hebrides, today Vanuatu.
An insight about the actual (maximum?) size was given by Wright and Studer "130 mm high and 60 to 80 mm in diameter".
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species-specific tank.
Feeding
Gorgonians do not have zooxanthellae and do not live off light. Azooxanthellate gorgonians do not host symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy through photosynthesis.
The pumps should be switched off before feeding. In order for the gorgonian to survive in the aquarium, each individual polyp must be fed sufficiently, i.e. daily or 3-4 times a week. Without feeding, the gorgonian will not survive in the aquarium. The polyps need a certain amount of time to absorb the food (granules or dust food (Ultramarin, Cyclop Eeze) or frozen food (lobster eggs, mysis)). If shrimp and fish are present, they will try to steal the food, so it is essential to feed these cohabitants beforehand.
Newly introduced gorgonian sticks can be stimulated with a liquid food, e.g., PolypLab Polyp, to encourage the individual polyps to open. Only then can feeding be carried out.
The better the individual polyps take up the food provided, the better the growth and reproduction rates will be.
Azooxanthellate corals eat suspensions, marine snow, microplankton, and other organic matter, which is their natural food.
The first photo of Melithaea nodosa was taken by the naturalist Dr., Karine Marangon, who, when asked by us, gave a size of less than 15cm.
Color of colonies: reddish-brown, polyps yellow, axis yellowish-red; reddish nodes.
Synonyms:
Acabaria nodosa Wright & Studer, 1889
Melitodes nodosa Wright & Studer, 1889
The species was first described in 1889 by Wright and Studer from Sagami Bay, Japan and the New Hebrides, today Vanuatu.
An insight about the actual (maximum?) size was given by Wright and Studer "130 mm high and 60 to 80 mm in diameter".
Recommendation - the coral should be kept in a species-specific tank.
Feeding
Gorgonians do not have zooxanthellae and do not live off light. Azooxanthellate gorgonians do not host symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy through photosynthesis.
The pumps should be switched off before feeding. In order for the gorgonian to survive in the aquarium, each individual polyp must be fed sufficiently, i.e. daily or 3-4 times a week. Without feeding, the gorgonian will not survive in the aquarium. The polyps need a certain amount of time to absorb the food (granules or dust food (Ultramarin, Cyclop Eeze) or frozen food (lobster eggs, mysis)). If shrimp and fish are present, they will try to steal the food, so it is essential to feed these cohabitants beforehand.
Newly introduced gorgonian sticks can be stimulated with a liquid food, e.g., PolypLab Polyp, to encourage the individual polyps to open. Only then can feeding be carried out.
The better the individual polyps take up the food provided, the better the growth and reproduction rates will be.
Azooxanthellate corals eat suspensions, marine snow, microplankton, and other organic matter, which is their natural food.
The first photo of Melithaea nodosa was taken by the naturalist Dr., Karine Marangon, who, when asked by us, gave a size of less than 15cm.
Color of colonies: reddish-brown, polyps yellow, axis yellowish-red; reddish nodes.
Synonyms:
Acabaria nodosa Wright & Studer, 1889
Melitodes nodosa Wright & Studer, 1889
