Impressive red coral in organ-pipe form

Splendid specimen of Tubipora musica of exceptional size: h 26 cm, w 44 cm, d 13 cm and with a splendid red color. A very rare specimen to acquire and still linked to regular CITES documentation. It is awaited that the Solomon Islands publish the new regulations regarding coral export. Any potential block would not only make it difficult to source these beautiful specimens on the market but would also lead to a significant increase in their prices. Tubipora musica is an octocoral alcyonarian native to the waters of the Indian Ocean and the central and western regions of the Pacific Ocean, the only known species of the genus Tubipora. This species is a soft coral but with a unique hard skeleton of calcium carbonate that contains many tubes resembling organ pipes, hence its common name RED ORGAN PIPE CORAL. On each tube there is a series of polyps, each with eight feather-like tentacles. These tentacles are usually extended during the day but retract quickly with any disturbance. The skeleton is a bright red color, but it is typically masked by numerous polyps. For this reason, living colonies are typically green, blue or purple due to the color of the expanded polyps. When the coral reaches the surface, the polyps’ tentacles fall, revealing Tubipora in all its splendid red. A lot absolutely worth winning. Base not included, made from reclaimed material and used for photographic purposes only. A necessary clarification. The final image in our photographic gallery is obtained with the help of AI software. The aim is purely aesthetic but also illustrative: to show the actual object inside an artificially generated setting. The goal is to show how precious the items up for auction are and how well they fit in different, highly refined environments. Thank you for your attention. Happy bidding.

估價:$308.47

查看所有物品來自Catawiki或Ethnographic