WHATSTHATFISH
Corals & anemones

Pulchra Coral

Acropora pulchra

Also known as: Branching Coral, Colonial Staghorn Coral, Staghorn Coral

ENEndangeredIUCN Red List, 2024
Adult
@fishx6 · Mirihi Island Resort, Maldives · May 20081 / 1
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Overview

Found over shallow reef flats, reef lagoons, and back-reef margins. Various colours, with pale tips, looks a bit like hands!

Stony corals have hard stony skeletons, their polyps have six tentacles or are made up of multiples of six. These are usually nocturnal, however if the sky's are overcast, then many will feed during the day.
Generally the more robust corals life on exposed areas, while the smaller corals live in sheltered lagoons or deeper waters.
Stony corals are reef building corals and embedded in their flesh are thousands of minute single-celled marine plants called zooxanthellae which accounts for their colour.
These corals support a huge diversity of life, their main predator being the crown-of-thorns sea star.

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How to identify

Body shape
bushfingers

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found over shallow reef flats, reef lagoons, and back-reef margins.

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Adult photos 1

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumCnidaria
    3. classHexacorallia
    4. orderScleractinia
    5. familyAcroporidae
    6. genusAcropora
    7. speciesAcropora pulchra (Brook, 1891)

    SourcesWoRMSCorals of the World

    06

    More in the family

    Stony Corals (Acroporidae)