Acropora Growth
Among the many acropora species, acropora growth is almost exclusively vertical, although the exact shape of branches varies from species to species.
Acropora Growth Body And Rates
Acropora growth falls into the general categories of bottlebrush, branching, brier, bushy, cats paw, cluster, elkhorn, staghorn, table, encrusting, pillow-shaped, among others. The most common acropora growth shape is bushy and compact, with short, thick branches that surround its body.
Acropora Growth In The Reef Aquarium
With optimal conditions in a home aquarium, acropora growth can be extremely rapid. In fact, among the hundreds of species of coral that populate the world's oceans, acropora growth is the quickest, growing up to eight inches per year. The degree of acropora growth will depend on the specimens access to light sources- metal halide lighting can contribute to rapid growth, although T-5 and compact fluorescents are also good choices to ensure steady acropora growth.
Acropora Growth And Nutrition
Other factors that contribute to acropora growth include a high levels of pH, alkalinity and calcium, and low levels of phosphate and nitrate. Like other corals, acropora growth relies heavily on its symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae, zooxanthellae. The algae pass critical energy and nutrients to its host coral through photosynthesis, which the coral uses to build reef systems and survive. Without the symbiotic algae, acropora growth occurs at only 10% of its normal speed. Acropora growth can be artificially engineered through propagation, modeled after the species natural reproduction through fragmentation. If the specimen is healthy and the tank conditions are optimal, acropora growth can result from culturing living fragments into a full colony.
Threats To Acropora Growth
Acropora growth is threatened most often by rough water conditions and sedimentation. Given the tendency of acropora corals to dwell in areas of high-energy waves and currents, acropora growth can suffer if rough waters break off fragments of branches along the reef system. Because the acropora species is not able to effectively remove excess sedimentation that gathers on its corals, acropora growth can be slowed significantly. Acropora growth that has slowed down can lead to smaller sized colonies, smaller overall shape of the corals, and ultimately, lower diversity among corals.
Acropora Growth And The Climate
In the recent years, acropora growth has been dramatically threatened due to climatic events such as hurricanes and seasonal temperature fluctuations. Global warming has contributed to less acropora growth, as the unnaturally warmer temperatures cause the critical energy producing algae to flee the coral in mass quantities. Statistics regarding acropora growth have revealed that the coral population has declined as much as 95% species-wide.
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