Yellow Sea Fan, Pacifigorgia Sp.
Yellow Sea Fan, Pacifigorgia sp. Provided by the commercial fishermen in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, July 2009. Size: 30 cm (12 inches) x 28 cm (11 inches).
Phylogeny: The Yellow Sea Fan, Pacifigorgia sp., is an octocoral member of the Gorgoniidae Family of Gorgonians. The genus Pacifigorgia is one of thirteen genera in the Gorgoniidae family, and it consists of thirty-seven species. They are known in Mexico as Abanico del Mar Amarillo and Abanico Marino Amarillo. We have restricted our identification to the genus level, because accurate identification of species within this genus requires microscopic examination of the endoskeletal spicules. The genus name Pacifigorgia is a modern adaptation of the Greek words meaning “Eastern Pacific gorgonian”.
Morphology: Yellow Sea Fans are colonial soft corals with widely spaced, lattice-like, interconnected branches. The branches grow as a single plane. They are yellowish in color with white polyps. Yellow Sea Fans can vary in height from 10 cm (3.9 inches) to 60 cm (2 feet 0 inches).
Habitat and Distribution: The Yellow Sea Fan is found attached to offshore reefs and rocks at depths up to 30 m (100 feet). Yellow Sea Fans are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species. In Mexican waters the Yellow Sea Fan is poorly documented and poorly studied and their range is believed to be limited to the southern portions of the Gulf of California.
Diet: Yellow Sea Fans are suspension feeders. The eight tentacles of the polyps capture copepods, coral spawn, fish eggs and other zooplankton from the surrounding water.
Predators: Information specific to predation of Yellow Sea Fans is not documented, however nudibranchs are a common predator on other Gorgonians.
Reproduction: Yellow Sea Fan colonies are gonochoric (male or female for life) and reproduce both asexually and sexually. Sexual reproduction occurs through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. The fertilized eggs develop into planktonic larva, which drift until they find a suitable location, attach to the substrate, and begin their sessile life.
Ecosystem Interactions: Information specific to the relationships of Yellow Sea Fans with other species has not been documented. Many sea fan species host epibionts such as bryozoans.
Human Interactions: Yellow Sea Fans have very limited impacts on human activities. Sea Fans in this genus exhibit high rates of endemism in certain areas however the health of populations have not been documented.
Synonyms: None.
Request for Help. This identification should be considered tentative due to the very remote location of the collection (Latitude 23oN and Longitude 110oW). We have found very little scientific focus on this area of the world and therefore supporting scientific documentation is not available. We welcome additional information on this coral from anyone who cares to contact us.