Purple Blade (Pterogorgia guadalupensis)

The Purple Blade is a beautiful and hardy gorgonian that is found living in shallow sunlight flats of the Florida Keys and throughout the Caribbean. In the aquarium, it shouldn't be allowed to come into contact with other gorgonians, corals, or anemones to minimize inter-species aggression. Purple Blades prefer at least medium variety of lighting, but should have decent water flow, as they need it to occasionally shed a waxy film (much like a Sarcophyton sp. toadstool leather coral). 

The Purple Blade has a unique growth form unlike other photosynthetic gorgonians. Only the edges of the blades sport small polyps, allowing the purple color to be seen at all times.