Acropora

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Acropora
Acropora pulchra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Acroporidae
Genus: Acropora
Oken, 1815[1]
Species

Acropora is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the Phylum Cnidaria.[2] Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral. There are over 149 described species.[3] Acropora is one of the major reef building corals responsible for building the immense calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef.

Contents

[edit] Anatomy and distribution

Flight through a µCT image stack of a Acropora coral from three views. Note that the "arms" are mostly hollow. This coral had been hot glued into a stone and late grew over it.

Depending on the species and location, Acropora may grow as plates or slender or broad branches. Like other corals, Acropora corals are colonies of individuals known as polyps, which are about 2 mm across and share tissue and a nerve net. The polyps can withdraw back into the coral in response to movement or disturbance by possible predators, but when undisturbed they protrude slightly. The polyps typically extend further at night to help capture plankton and dissolved organic matter from the water.

Acropora is most common in shallow reef environments with bright light and moderate to high water motion. Many small reef fishes live near Acropora colonies and retreat into the thicket of branches if threatened.

[edit] Threats

Flight around a 3D object created from the data above.

These corals have zooxanthellae, symbiotic algae that live in the corals' cells and produce energy for the animals through photosynthesis. Environmental destruction has led to a dwindling of populations of Acropora, along with other coral species. Acropora is especially susceptible to bleaching 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 zooxanthellae cannot be assimilated. Common causes of bleaching and coral death include pollution, abnormally warm water temperatures, increased ocean acidification, sedimentation, and eutrophication.

[edit] Reef-keeping

Close-up of a network of Acropora polyps

Most Acropora 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 1 meter across in the wild. In a well maintained reef aquarium, finger-sized fragments can grow into basketball-sized colonies in 1 to 2 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.[4]

Acropora species are challenging to keep in a home aquarium. They require bright light, stable temperatures, and clean turbulent water. Providing these conditions consistently can be too demanding for the average hobbyist.

A common pest in reef aquariums are the Acropora Eating Flatworm.

[edit] Species

Acropora (Acroporidae) at French Frigate Shoals, northwestern Hawaiian Islands

[edit] References

  1. ^ WoRMS (2010). "Acropora Oken, 1815". World Register of Marine Species. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=205469. Retrieved 205469. 
  2. ^ "Acropora". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=52860. 
  3. ^ Acropora at Encyclopedia of Life
  4. ^ "Restoration". The Global Coral Repository. 2011. http://www.coralrepository.org/the-project/restoration/. 

[edit] Further reading

  • Shinzato, C., Shoguchi, E., Kawashima, T., Hamada, M., Hisata, K., Tanaka, M., Fujie, M., et al. 2011. Using the Acropora digitifera genome to understand coral responses to environmental change. Nature, advance online publication. doi:10.1038/nature10249

[edit] External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Acropora
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Acropora
Stony corals
FFS Table bottom.jpg
Soft corals
Coral reefs
Coral regions
Coral diseases
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