Gorgonia: characteristics, habitat and food

Las Gorgonias They are octocoralmostly colonial invertebrate animals belonging to the cnidary edge and the anthozoa class. Of the six suborders that make up the Alcyonacea order, the species of Gorgonias are located in three of them: Calcaxonia, Holaxonia and Scleraxonia.

Here are some of its main characteristics:

• Are Abundant components and characteristic of shallow water in which they are available on rock structures, coral reefs and soft sediments.
• Its structure consists of Polypes with eight pinnate tentaclestentacles with lateral branches to feathers. These polyps emerge from a tissue called Cenénquime, which contains sclerites, microscopic structures of calcareous origin that provide hardness and support to the colony.
• They have a central scleroprotheic axis composed of gorgoninea protein similar to keratin, which can have different degrees of internal mineralization and that “replace” the Aragonate calcium carbonate crystals, used by hard corals (scleractins) to form their colonies. This central axis is surrounded by the Cenénquime layer where the scleritas and the polyps are located.
• They present different forms of growth ranging from embedding colonies to erect shapes in the form of a tree or huge fans.
• They house a lot of organisms such as sea sponges, molluscs, polychetes, crustaceans and fish and with some of them they form strong symbiotic associations. They have various colorations such as yellow, orange and lavender that comes from the calcareous skeletal components or some of their symbions.
• They are longevassince they have very few natural predators and do not show seasonality.
• They reach their maximum size between 10 and 30 years.
• They are considered Environmental Quality Bioindicators.
• They are considered “Ecosystems engineers” For their long life expectancy and because thanks to their three -dimensional structure they modify the environment, facilitating the settlement of other species, and generating breeding areas for many associated organisms of ecological and economic interest.
• They can concentrate on dense groups constituting “Submarine forests”high biodiversity nuclei.
• La Gorgonia and El Coralalthough they have similar characteristics, They are not the same.

Do not miss this article about the Cnidarians: characteristics and examples.

As for their habitat, gorgonias are distributed by All seas and oceans of the world And they meet attached to hard substrates as dead rocks or corals, located in areas with moderate sea currents. They can be found in different depths, some species live in shallow waters and others can reach several hundred meters deep.

Some common species in the Mediterranean Sea, such as Red Gorgonia (Paramuricea Clavata), a fan -shaped colonial gorgonia, is usually found on rocky or coral funds located between 15 and 40 meters deep. However, there are records in which it has been found more than 100 meters. Other species such as sea ​​fan (Gorgonia ventalina) that is located in the Western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, it grows in shallow waters near the coast, where the action of the waves is strong.

Gorgonias have a form of Passive foodsince its organism grows perpendicularly to marine currents taking advantage of the tentacles of their polyps to capture planktonic organisms and organic particles present in the water. In addition, those organisms that house zooxantelas benefit from the sugars produced by these symbiotic dinoflagellates.

Gorgonias reproduce in two main ways:

• Asexual reproduction: They have the ability to regenerate and branch their tissues. This means that they can develop new branches from their existing structure. These new outbreaks grow and separate from the mother colony, thus forming new genetically identical colonies.
• Sexual reproduction: Some species have separate sexes and others are hermaphrodites. Whatever the case, produce ovules and sperm gametes. The release of water gametes generally occurs during synchronized reproduction events, such as seasonal changes or specific chemical signals in the environment. When the ovules are fertilized by sperm, planktonic larvae called plánulas are developed. These larvae are dragged by sea currents and, eventually, settle in the right substrate, where they begin to develop in polyps and form a new colony.

In this article you will find more information about asexual reproduction: what is, types and examples.

Almost all of Gorgonias species have a slow growth rate and late sexual maturation that make them very vulnerable to current and future impacts. Among the most important threats they face, they are:

• The increase in water temperature as a result of climate change.
• Fishing activities.
• The presence of invasive species such as the algae (Rugulopteryx Okamurae).
• Pollution
• Irresponsible sports diving.

We must be aware that the disappearance of these engineering species not only leads to negative consequences for the species itself, but can Indirectly affect the entire aquatic community Modifying habitat conditions, the flow regime and the availability of resources. For these reasons increasingly the intentions of conserving these environments through:

• Creation of protected areas.
• Active restoration processes to recover the structure and operation of these ecosystems.
• Control and eradication of invading organisms.
• Awareness campaigns to make problems visible and inform the population why it is important to keep these ecosystems.
• Regular monitoring of populations of Gorgonias and scientific research contributes to knowledge and the implementation of effective conservation strategies.
• The projects associated with the mitigation of climate change can help the long -term survival of the forests of Gorgonias and other marine ecosystems.

Now that you know the characteristics of the Gorgonia, its habitat and its diet, you may also be interested in these other articles on sea feathers: characteristics, habitat and food and sea anemonones: characteristics, types and food.

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