Red Sea Fan, Pacifigorgia Sp.
Red Sea Fan, Pacifigorgia Sp. Coral provided by the commercial fishermen in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, July 2009. Size: 25 cm (10 inches) x 25 cm (10 inches).
The Red Sea Fan, Pacifigorgia Sp., is an octocoral and a member of the Gorgoniidae Family of Gorgonians, that is known in Mexico as Abanico del mar rojo. Members of the Pacifigorgia Genus are common but reside only in the waters of the Pacific with multiple hot spots off the coast of Ecuador and Panama. The Pacifigorgia corals have one or two fan-shaped planes with a mesh-like structure of variable size. They can be brown, red, purple or yellow in color and can grow to 76 cm (30 inches) in height. They are found attached to offshore reefs and rocks at depths up to 26 m (85 feet).
The Red Sea Fan has a red to brown coloration with very closely-knit mesh. They range in size from 10 cm (3.9 inches) to 30 cm (11.8 inches) being approximately equal in length and width. Living Red Sea Fans are red or red with a brownish tint and have yellowish polyps. They are found in areas with very strong currents, orientated with the flat side directly facing the prevailing current. In Mexican waters they are poorly documented and poorly studied and their range is unknown and very little is known about their behavioral patterns.
Note: I believe this species to be different than two other known Red Sea Fans, Pacififorgia adamsi (due to the much small mesh size within this fan) and Pacifogorgia irene (that has not been documented in Mexican waters).
Request for Help. This identification should be considered tentative due to the very remote location of the collection (Latitude 23oN and Longitude 110oW). I have found very little scientific focus on this area of the world and therefore supporting scientific documentation is not available. I welcome additional information on this coral from anyone who cares to contact me.