''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secre ...

in the phylum

Cnidaria Cnidaria () is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in Fresh water, freshwater and Marine habitats, marine environments, predominantly the latter. Their distinguishing feature is cnidocyt ...

. Some of its

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

are known as table coral,

elkhorn coral Elkhorn coral (''Acropora palmata'') is an important reef-building coral in the Caribbean. The species has a complex structure with many branches which resemble that of elk antlers; hence, the common name. The branching structure creates habita ...

, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals responsible for building the immense calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef.

Anatomy and distribution

Depending on the species and location, ''Acropora'' species may grow as plates or slender or broad branches. Like other corals, ''Acropora'' corals are colonies of individual polyps, which are about 2 mm across and share tissue and a

nerve net A nerve net consists of interconnected neurons lacking a brain or any form of cephalization. While organisms with bilateral body symmetry are normally associated with a condensation of neurons or, in more advanced forms, a central nervous syst ...

. The polyps can withdraw back into the coral in response to movement or disturbance by potential predators, but when undisturbed, they protrude slightly. The polyps typically extend further at night to help capture plankton and organic matter from the water. The species are distributed in the Indo-Pacific (over 100 species) and Caribbean (3 species). However, the true number of species is unknown: firstly, the validity of many of these species is questioned as some have been shown to represent hybrids, for example ''Acropora prolifera''; and secondly, some species have been shown to represent cryptic species complexes.

Threats

Symbiodinium : ''This is about the genus sometimes called Zoox. For the company, see Zoox (company)'' ''Symbiodinium'' is a genus of dinoflagellates that encompasses the largest and most prevalent group of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates known. These unicellul ...

'', symbiotic

algae Algae ( , ; : alga ) are any of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms. The name is an informal term for a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from ...

, live in the corals' cells and produce energy for the animals through

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

. Environmental destruction has led to a dwindling of populations of ''Acropora'', along with other coral species. ''Acropora'' is especially susceptible to

bleaching Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

when stressed. Bleaching is due to the loss of the coral's zooxanthellae, which are a golden-brown color. Bleached corals are stark white and may die if new ''Symbiodinium'' cells cannot be assimilated. Common causes of bleaching and coral death include pollution, abnormally warm water temperatures, increased

ocean acidification Ocean acidification is the reduction in the pH value of the Earth’s ocean. Between 1751 and 2021, the average pH value of the ocean surface has decreased from approximately 8.25 to 8.14. The root cause of ocean acidification is carbon dioxi ...

, sedimentation, and eutrophication. In 2014 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed ten ''Acropora'' species as 'threatened'.

Reef-keeping

Most ''Acropora'' species are brown or green, but a few are brightly colored, and those rare corals are prized by aquarists. Captive propagation of ''Acropora'' is widespread in the reef-keeping community. Given the right conditions, many ''Acropora'' species grow quickly, and individual colonies can exceed a meter across in the wild. In a well-maintained reef aquarium, finger-sized fragments can grow into medicine ball-sized colonies in one to two years. Captive specimens are steadily undergoing changes due to selection which enable them to thrive in the home aquarium. In some cases, fragments of captive specimens are used to repopulate barren reefs in the wild. ''Acropora'' species are challenging to keep in a home aquarium. They require bright light, stable temperatures, regular addition of calcium and alkalinity supplements, and clean, turbulent water. Common parasites of colonies in

reef aquarium A reef aquarium or reef tank is a marine aquarium that prominently displays live corals and other marine invertebrates as well as fish that play a role in maintaining the tropical coral reef environment. A reef aquarium requires appropriatel ...

s are "Acropora-eating flatworms" ''Amakusaplana acroporae'', and "red bugs" ('' Tegastes acroporanus'').

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Acropora'': *'' Acropora abrolhosensis'' Veron, 1985 *'' Acropora abrotanoides'' (Lamarck, 1816) *'' Acropora acervata'' (Dana, 1846) *''

Acropora aculeus ''Acropora aculeus'' is a species of acroporid corals found throughout the Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan and the East China Sea. It is also present in the western Pacific Ocean. It is an uncommon spec ...

'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora acuminata'' (Verrill, 1864) *'' Acropora alvarezi''† Wallace, 2008 *''

Acropora anglica ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

''† (Duncan, 1866) *''

Acropora anthocercis ''Acropora anthocercis'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by G. Brook in 1893. Found on the top slopes of reefs, it is often in contact with strong waves. The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a d ...

'' (Brook, 1893) *'' Acropora arabensis'' Hodgson and Carpenter, 1995 *''

Acropora arafura ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp Scleractinia, stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major r ...

'' Wallace, Done & Muir, 2012 *'' Acropora aspera'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora austera'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora awi'' Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998 *'' Acropora bartonensis''† Wallace, 2008 *'' Acropora batunai'' Wallace, 1997 *'' Acropora borneoensis''† (Felix, 1921) *'' Acropora branchi'' Riegl, 1995 *''

Acropora britannica ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals re ...

''† Wallace, 2008 *'' Acropora bushyensis'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *''

Acropora capillaris ''Acropora capillaris'' is a species of acroporid Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek ''"akron"'' meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the t ...

'' (Klunzinger, 1879) *''

Acropora cardenae ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Wells, 1986 *'' Acropora carduus'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora caroliniana'' Nemenzo, 1976 *'' Acropora cerealis'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora cervicornis'' (Lamarck, 1816) - staghorn coral *'' Acropora chesterfieldensis'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *'' Acropora clathrata'' (Brook, 1891) *'' Acropora cytherea'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora darrellae''† Santodomingo, Wallace & Johnson, 2015 *'' Acropora deformis''† (Michelin, 1840) *''

Acropora dendrum ''Acropora dendrum'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Bassett-Smith in 1890. Found in tropical, shallow reefs in areas of powerful waves at depths of , it is threatened by disease. The species is rated as vulnerable o ...

'' (Bassett-Smith, 1890) *''

Acropora derawaensis ''Acropora derawanensis'' is a species of acroporid coral found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the west central Pacific Ocean. It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching, disease, and crown-of-thorns starfish predation. Description '' ...

'' Wallace, 1997 *''

Acropora desalwii ''Acropora desalwii'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Dr Carden Wallace in 1994. Found in sheltered, tropical, shallow reefs, mainly on the slopes, this species is generally found at depths below , but this can be as ...

'' Wallace, 1994 *''

Acropora digitifera ''Acropora digitifera'' is a species of acroporid coral found in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, Australia, southeast Asia, the central Indo-Pacific, Japan, the west Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. ...

'' (Dana, 1846) *''

Acropora divaricata ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora donei'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *'' Acropora downingi'' Wallace, 1999 *'' Acropora duncani''† (Reuss, 1866) *'' Acropora echinata'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora elegans'' (Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1860) *'' Acropora elenae''† Santodomingo, Wallace & Johnson, 2015 *''

Acropora elseyi ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp Scleractinia, stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major r ...

'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora emanuelae''† Santodomingo, Wallace & Johnson, 2015 *'' Acropora eurystoma'' (Klunzinger, 1879) *'' Acropora fastigata'' Nemenzo, 1967 *'' Acropora fennemai''† (Gerth, 1921) *'' Acropora fenneri'' Veron, 2000 *'' Acropora filiformis'' Veron, 2000 *'' Acropora florida'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora gemmifera'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora glauca'' (Brook, 1893) *'' Acropora globiceps'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora gomezi'' Veron, 2000 *''

Acropora grandis ''Acropora grandis'' is a species of colonial stony coral. It is a large species with multiple branches forming a bush-like structure and is found on reefs and in lagoons. It is native to the tropical western Indo-Pacific and has a range exten ...

'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora granulosa'' (Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1860) *''

Acropora haidingeri ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

''† (Reuss, 1864) *'' Acropora halmaherae'' Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998 *''

Acropora hasibuani ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

''† Santodomingo, Wallace & Johnson, 2015 *''

Acropora hemprichii ''Acropora hemprichii'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1834. It lives in reefs at depths of for between 13 and 24 years. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, a ...

'' (Ehrenberg, 1834) *'' Acropora herklotsi''† (Reuss, 1866) *'' Acropora hoeksemai'' Wallace, 1997 *'' Acropora horrida'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora humilis'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora hyacinthus'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora indonesia'' Wallace, 1997 *'' Acropora intermedia'' (Brook, 1891) *'' Acropora jacquelineae'' Wallace, 1994 *''

Acropora japonica ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Veron, 2000 *'' Acropora kimbeensis'' Wallace, 1999 *'' Acropora kirstyae'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *''

Acropora kosurini ''Acropora kosurini'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by C. C. Wallace in 1994. Found in marine, shallow reefs, it occurs at depths of . It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and it is believed to ...

'' Wallace, 1994 *''

Acropora lamarcki ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals r ...

'' Veron, 2000 *'' Acropora latistella'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora laurae''† Santodomingo, Wallace & Johnson, 2015 *''

Acropora lavandulina ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals re ...

''† (Michelin, 1840) *'' Acropora listeri'' (Brook, 1893) *'' Acropora loisetteae'' Wallace, 1994 *''

Acropora lokani ''Acropora lokani'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by C. C. Wallace in 1994. Found in marine, shallow reefs and sheltered lagoons, it occurs at depths between . It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and is ...

'' Wallace, 1994 *'' Acropora longicyathus'' (Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1860) *'' Acropora loripes'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora lovelli'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *'' Acropora lutkeni'' Crossland, 1952 *'' Acropora macrocalyx''† Wallace & Bosselini, 2015 *'' Acropora microclados'' (Ehrenberg, 1834) *''

Acropora microphthalma ''Acropora microphthalma'' is a species of acroporid coral found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west and c ...

'' (Verrill, 1869) *'' Acropora millepora'' (Ehrenberg, 1834) *'' Acropora monticulosa'' (Brueggemann, 1879) *'' Acropora mossambica'' Riegl, 1995 *'' Acropora multiacuta'' Nemenzo, 1967 *'' Acropora muricata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *''

Acropora nana ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' (Studer, 1878) *'' Acropora nasuta'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora natalensis'' Riegl, 1995 *'' Acropora ornata''† (DeFrance, 1828) *'' Acropora palmata'' (Lamarck, 1816) - elkhorn coral *'' Acropora palmerae'' Wells, 1954 *''

Acropora paniculata ''Acropora paniculata'' is a species of acroporid Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek ''"akron"'' meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the t ...

'' Verrill, 1902 *'' Acropora papillare'' Latypov, 1992 *''

Acropora pectinata ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Veron, 2000 *''

Acropora pharaonis ''Acropora pharaonis'' is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Milne-Edwards and Haime in 1860. Found in marine, tropical, reefs on slopes sheltered from wave action, it occurs at depths of between . It is classed as a vulne ...

'' (Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1860) *'' Acropora pichoni'' Wallace, 1999 *'' Acropora piedmontensis''† Wallace & Bosselini, 2015 *''

Acropora plumosa ''Acropora plumosa'' is a species of acroporid Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek ''"akron"'' meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the tip ...

'' Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998 *'' Acropora polystoma'' (Brook, 1891) *''

Acropora prolifera ''Acropora prolifera'', the fused staghorn coral, is a branching, colonial, stony coral found in shallow parts of the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas and southern Florida. Description ''Acropora prolifera'' is very similar to staghorn coral (''Acr ...

'' (Lamarck, 1816) - fused staghorn coral *''

Acropora proteacea ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

''† Wallace, 2008 *'' Acropora proximalis'' Veron, 2000 *'' Acropora pulchra'' (Brook, 1891) *'' Acropora renemai''† Santodomingo, Wallace & Johnson, 2015 *'' Acropora retusa'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora ridzwani'' Ditlev, 2003 *'' Acropora robusta'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora roemeri''† (Duncan, 1866) *''

Acropora rongelapensis ''Acropora rongelapensis'' is a species of branching scleractinian corals. It is only known from the lagoon of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean. This coral forms colonies up to 20 cm across with main branches up to ...

'' Richards & Wallace, 2004 *'' Acropora roseni'' Wallace, 1999 *'' Acropora rudis'' (Rehberg, 1892) *'' Acropora rufa'' Veron, 2000 *'' Acropora russelli'' Wallace, 1994 *'' Acropora salentina''† Wallace & Bosselini, 2015 *''

Acropora samoensis ''Acropora samoensis'' is a species of acroporid coral found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea The East China Sea is ...

'' (Brook, 1891) *'' Acropora sarmentosa'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora secale'' (Studer, 1878) *''

Acropora selago ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' (Studer, 1878) *'' Acropora seriata'' (Ehrenberg, 1834) *''

Acropora serrata ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals re ...

'' Lamarck *'' Acropora simplex'' Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998 *''

Acropora sirikitiae ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Wallace, Phongsuwan & Muir, 2012 *'' Acropora slovenica''† Wallace & Bosselini, 2015 *'' Acropora solanderi''† (Defrance, 1828) *'' Acropora solitaryensis'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *''

Acropora sordiensis ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals re ...

'' Riegl, 1995 *'' Acropora spathulata'' (Brook, 1891) *'' Acropora speciosa'' (Quelch, 1886) *'' Acropora spicifera'' (Dana, 1846) *''

Acropora squarrosa ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' (Ehrenberg, 1834) *'' Acropora striata'' (Verrill, 1866) *'' Acropora subglabra'' (Brook, 1891) *'' Acropora subulata'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora suharsonoi'' Wallace, 1994 *''

Acropora sukarnoi ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Wallace, 1997 *'' Acropora tanegashimensi'' -s Veron, 1990 *'' Acropora tenella'' (Brook, 1892) *'' Acropora tenuis'' (Dana, 1846) *''

Acropora torihalimeda ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Wallace, 1994 *''

Acropora tortuosa ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora tuberculosa'' (Milne Edwards, 1860) *''

Acropora turaki ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals re ...

'' Wallace, 1994 *'' Acropora valenciennesi'' (Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1860) *'' Acropora valida'' (Dana, 1846) *'' Acropora variolosa'' (Klunzinger, 1879) *'' Acropora vaughani'' Wells, 1954 *'' Acropora verweyi'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *''

Acropora walindii ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef coral ...

'' Wallace, 1999 *'' Acropora willisae'' Veron and Wallace, 1984 *''

Acropora wilsonae ''Acropora'' is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. ''Acropora'' species are some of the major reef corals re ...

''† Wallace, 2008 *'' Acropora yongei'' Veron and Wallace, 1984

References

External links

* {{Authority control Acroporidae Coral reefs Articles containing video clips Scleractinia genera

Anatomy and distribution

Threats

Reef-keeping

Species

References

Further reading

External links