The purple gorgonian belongs to the phylum Cnidaria and lives in colonies. The colony is fan-shaped and arranged in a single plane, perpendicular to the current.

The polyps can reach up to 0.3 inches and are distributed all around the numerous branches. purple gorgonians can grow up to 3.3 feet.

Bright red to purple in color, it needs to be illuminated to fully display its brilliance !

The purple gorgonian is sometimes found at depths of 33 feet but is more commonly found between 66 and 328 feet.

It is mainly encountered in the Mediterranean sea where it forms colonies of varying sizes depending on the exposure of the area.

The purple gorgonian is typically found in shaded areas on rocky walls, along drop-offs or on vertical surfaces of shipwrecks in areas exposed to currents.

The purple gorgonian feeds on micro-particles suspended in the water through its polyps. It is a passive filter feeder that requires the presence of currents to bring its food.

The purple gorgonian reproduces both sexually and less commonly, asexually.

It takes several decades for the purple gorgonian to fully regenerate after damage such as from an anchor during boat mooring or accidental contact with a diver's fins.

It is crucial to manage your weighting and buoyancy to avoid damaging the gorgonian branches with inadvertent fin strikes.

Otherwise, look for rocky areas subjected to currents which are its preferred habitat !