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Hard Coral


Button Coral Bird's Nest Blue Coral Brain Coral Brain Coral, Favites Bubble Coral Cactus Coral Candy Cane Coral Cat's Paw Coral Cauliflower Coral Daisy/Flowerpot Coral Doughnut Coral Elegance Coral Elephant Nose Coral Flower Pot Coral Frogspawn Coral Galaxy Coral Goniastrea Brain Coral Hammer Coral Horn Coral Jeweled Finger Coral Lettuce/Cabbage Coral Lobophyllia Brain Coral Nemenzophyllia Fox Coral Pearl Bubble Coral Pineapple Coral Pipe Organ Coral Plate Coral LT Plate/Disk Coral Platygyra Brain Coral Slipper/Tongue Coral Spiny Cup/Lettuce Coral Staghorn Coral Torch Coral Tube Coral Turbinaria Coral Velvet Coral


Soft Coral


Sea fan Cabbage Leather Coral Tree Coral Christmas Tree Coral Clove / Glove Polyp Colt Coral Corky Sea Fingers Devil's Hand Coral Finger Leather (Cladiella) Finger Leather (Sinularia) Flexible Leather Coral Kenya Tree Coral Mushroom / Leather Coral Pipe Organ Coral Pulse Coral Purple Sea Blade Rough Sea Plume Sea Rod / Red Tree Star Polyp Strawberry / Pink Cauliflower Tree Coral - Yellow Tree Coral - Paralemnalia Waving Hand Coral Yellow Sea Blade


Mushrooms


Actinodiscus Mushroom Coral Bullseye Mushroom Coral Elephant Ear Mushroom Coral Giant Cup Mushroom Coral Hairy Mushroom Coral Ricordea Mushroom Coral


Zoanthids


Elegant Moon Polyp Palythoa Button Polyp Stick / Tree Polyp Zoanthus Button Polyp

Staghorn Coral

The Acropora Staghorn Coral resembles the antlers of a deer, and is also referred to as Antler Coral. Acropora Corals can also be found in other shapes: bushy, clustered, bottlebrush, finger, table, columnar, or plate. It is a small polyp stony (SPS) coral and it is very difficult to identify the exact species of any one specimen. Its genus name, Acropora, comes from the combination of the words akron (extremity, Greek) plus porous (pore, Latin), meaning that its calcium skeleton is porous at the extremities or tips of each branch. It is found in a variety of colors, and may change color forms while in the reef aquarium. Acropora Corals are among the fastest growing corals on a reef, and are responsible for the majority of reef formations. Aquacultured specimens are available.

Acropora sp.

Quick Stats:   Staghorn Coral
Family: Acroporidae Polyp Size: SPS - Small polyp stony Range: South Pacific Color Form: All colors Ideal Supplements: Calcium, Strontium, Trace elements Reef Compatible: Yes Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4 Water Flow: Strong Light: High Dominance: Semi-aggressive Placement: All levels Care Level: Difficult

The Acropora Staghorn Coral can be difficult to acclimate, however, once established in the proper environment, it will grow. The growth rate of the Acropora Staghorn Coral is much more rapid than most of the other corals found in an established reef aquarium. It can also be cultured and grow into a new colony from living fragments or broken pieces, if conditions are ideal. The Acropora Staghorn Coral prefers a high light level combined with a strong water current within the aquarium. For continued good health, it will require the addition of supplemental calcium, strontium, and other trace elements to the water.

The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae are hosted within its body, so it receives the majority of its nutritional requirements from photosynthesis. While it does not require additional food to maintain its health in the reef aquarium, it will feed on micro-plankton or foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates.

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