Invertebrates Coelenterates Octocorals

Octocorals live in colonies in both temperate and tropical seas. They are able to build a skeleton, but it is not the same as that of the madreporites. Their tentacles, numbered in multiples of eight, are 1-5 cm long. Their reproduction is either sexual or asexual, through budding. As with the hexacorals, some species can house Zooxanthellae.

• Soft Corals (Alcyonarians)
These live attached to the substrate by a horny secretion, and their polyps can be withdrawn. The presence of Zooxanthellae means that they require strong lighting.

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Sinularia sp., soft coral from the Indo-Pacific region.

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Sarcophyton sp., closed (left) and with the polyps extended (right).

• Leather Corals (Sarcophyton / Alcyoniidae)
When they expel water from their tissues to renew it, they look like leather, hence their name leather corals. They are easy to keep in well-aerated water and they grow quickly. Their color varies according to the concentration of Zooxanthellae present. Their weekly diet consists of a fine choppy of mussels and other seafood. They must be positioned with care in the aquarium, well away from other stinging species. Two leather corals are most commonly found in the aquarium trade: Sarcophyton glaucum and 5. trocheliophorum. Size: 20-30 cm.

• Gorgonians
The species in this group, which comprises several families, present a ramified, fan-like form and can grow to a height of 2 m. Their skeletons can be used for decorative purposes. These animals prefer a fairly dark environment, where they live attached to a support. They sometimes have a tendency to be colonized by other organisms, such as sponges or filamentous algae. Their food must be very fine and distributed daily. Size: 15 cm.

Gorgonian and Alcyonarian

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• Red Coral
The red coral (Corallium rubrum) found in the Mediterranean, up to a depth of 200 m, is in fact a Gorgonian. These days there are no colonies over a few dozen centimeters, and their disappearance can be attributed to fishing off the coasts of France, Sardinia, and Tunisia that is so intensive it is best escribed as pillage! Such demand is explained by the fact that the bright red skeleton of this species is used in jewelry (particularly so in Italy).

Saltwater Introduction

Cover all we need to know about saltwater, so we can keep marine fish.

Aquarium Supply

Lot of things we should prepare to start saltwater aquarium!

Aquarium Setup

Steps to be taken before the aquarium ready to receive
fish and operate.

Marine Fish

Detail about saltwater fish species. For beginner also expert.

Invertebrates

They difficult to keep, although there are some suitable for hobbyist.

Plants

There’s only a few of them, but the results can often be highly attractive.