Do encrusting gorgonians (briareum) sometimes keep their polyps in(not extended)?

[HobokenAddict]

I have a frag of briareum in my tank for over two months and it was always extending it's polyps, even starting to develop more color(similar look to gsp), i went away for one weekend, and they are all not extending, plus it looks like lots of black dots(bumps) where the polyps used to extend from. Is my gorgonian sick?

[Tanked]

My EG is real temperamental. The polyps didn't open for 4 days after I added it. After a water change they "disappear" for a day or so. There seems to be a dearth of other EG keepers on this site and so I continue to wonder if this is considered to be normal behavior for this species.

[Hwarang]

I wonder about those black dots ... my toadstool leather gets them on ocassion after my porcelain crab has tried to make a home atop the stool.