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Diving in this reef completely covered with branches of red Gorgonia up to two meters high is always fascinating. Despite the poor visibility our torches manage to bring out all the colors of the underwater world. They range from the scarlet red of the Paramuricea clavata, to the yellow of the countless Verongia sponges and the Parazoanthus axinellae, the sea daisy, to the red of theCorallium rubrum and the red Scorpionfish. The pale pink of the red Anthias anthisa accompanies us as always throughout the dive and when we enter the branches of the “blooming” red Gorgonia that surrounds us on all sides with the polyps completely everted it seems like entering an enchanted forest, if we then add the tranquility of the underwater world with the countless marine species that surround us, time seems to expand and the 20 minutes of a canonical dive at 50 meters expand and become an indefinite time.
Diving among gorgonians – Immersione tra le gorgonie – Red Gorgonian – Paramuricea clavata – Gorgonia rossa – intotheblue.it
Red gorgonian, Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) is a Mediterranean gorgonian of the Plexauridae family.
It appears as an arborescent formation with dense dark red ramifications, which form fans that can reach dimensions of up to one meter in height. The terminal, claviform branches are sometimes yellow. The skeleton is protein; the surface has calcareous spicules that act as a refuge for the polyps, retractable.
The colonies take on the appearance of a real submerged forest, among whose branches a remarkable biodiversity develops, consisting of fish and invertebrates of every species.
Diving among gorgonians – Immersione tra le gorgonie – Red Gorgonian – Paramuricea clavata – Gorgonia rossa – intotheblue.it – Spugna verongia Aplysina aerophoba
Verongia (Aplysina aerophoba Nardo, 1843) is a sponge of the Aplysinidae family.
It forms fleshy cushions of bright yellow color, with a diameter of up to 25–30 cm, with tubular ramifications, which have an osculum on the terminal part. If exposed to air the color becomes green-black; hence the Latin name of aerophoba (= afraid of the air).
Diving among gorgonians – Immersione tra le gorgonie – Red Gorgonian – Paramuricea clavata – Gorgonia rossa – intotheblue.it – Scorpaena scrofa – Red scorpionfisch – Scorfano rosso
Red scorpionfish. Scorpaena scrofa Linnaeus, 1758.
It is widespread in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the British Isles, to Morocco, the Canary Islands, the Azores and the Mediterranean Sea.
Diving among gorgonians – Immersione tra le gorgonie – Red Gorgonian – Paramuricea clavata – Gorgonia rossa – intotheblue.it – Stylocidaris affinis – Riccio matita
Stylocidaris affinis (Philippi, 1845), commonly known as pencil urchin, is an echinoderm of the Cidaridae family.
Very evident, thick, well-spaced spines, as long as the diameter of the body, yellow to red in color, which can reach 5 centimeters.
Diving among gorgonians – Immersione tra le gorgonie – Red Gorgonian – Paramuricea clavata – Gorgonia rossa – intotheblue.it – Cooko wrasse – Tordo fischietto
Labrus mixtus. Coocko wrasse (Labrus mixtus Linnaeus, 1758) is a bony sea fish belonging to the Labridae family.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramuricea_clavata Gallery
