Staghorn Acropora
With over 300 different species of acropora corals in existence, the staghorn acropora coral (scientific name cervicornis) is distinguished by its outward branching shaped colonies that are linked with cylindrical branches. Because the staghorn acropora coral prefers shallow water, this species of coral is not found at depths greater than 98 feet.
Staghorn Acropora Distribution
Staghorn acropora corals can be found in the waters surrounding the Florida Keys, Bahamas, Caribbean islands, and the western coast of South America. In nature, colonies of staghorn acropora corals can grow to be quite large- even upwards of six feet in length.
Staghorn Acropora Size
The large size of staghorn acropora colonies can in part be attributed to its extremely fast growth rate- it is not uncommon for the staghorn acropora corals branches to grow as much as eight inches per year. In fact, the staghorn acropora coral is the fasting growing western Atlantic coral in existence today.
Staghorn Acropora Reproduction
Like its relatives, staghorn acropora corals reproduce through asexual fragmentation, a process which creates new corals when branches or segments of existing colonies are broken off. The fragmented branch will naturally reattach to nearby substrate (usually sand or rock) and quickly grow into its own staghorn acropora colony. Staghorn acropora are also capable of reproducing sexually, which they do species-wide once a year in August and September.
Staghorn Acropora Spawning
The corals simultaneously release gametes into the water through their respective water columns, and subsequent larvae will float in the water until settling on respective substrate. Because the staghorn acropora corals sexual reproduction results in a significantly lower number of independent colonies, the species relies on fragmentation for the large majority of its growth.
Threats To Staghorn Acropora
Even though staghorn Acropora Corals are extremely fast growing, they have not been able to outrun the threats to their existence. In fact, populations of staghorn acropora corals have decreased at an alarming rate- almost 98% in the recent years. However, the reason for this decline is multi-faceted. Unfortunately, the staghorn acropora species have been increasingly susceptible to disease outbreak in the recent years. Because of the geographical location of staghorn acropora corals, staghorn acropora corals are also at risk for damage by environmental disturbances such as hurricanes. Even further, issues such as human interaction, increased predators, and bleaching have led to even more losses of staghorn acropora colonies. Overall, the population of the staghorn acropora species is currently threatened, and steps have been taken in recent years to reverse this trend and restore the species to its rightful existence.
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