Acropora Corals Codexery

Staghorn coral

Last updated

The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.[1][2] Within the order Scleractinia, Acropora cervicornis is a stony coral that grows in a branching form.[3][4] This coral's thick, upright branches can reach heights greater than 2 meters and are reminiscent of deer antlers.[3][5]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumCnidaria
  3. SubphylumAnthozoa
  4. ClassHexacorallia
  5. OrderScleractinia
  6. FamilyAcroporidae
  7. GenusAcropora
  8. SpeciesAcropora cervicornis

Named by (Lamarck, 1816)

Close relatives

Other species of Acropora with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Staghorn coral (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 206989 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Critically Endangered (CR)

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR▲ this species
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2022

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

Where the staghorn coral has been recorded

Where the staghorn coral has been recorded86 mapped locations from 15,453 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (15,453 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 7 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biology and range

It typically occurs in clear, shallow water on fore reefs, back reefs, and patch reefs, where water depths rarely exceed 20 meters.[3][6] The skeleton is made of aragonite, a form of calcium carbonate secreted by calicoblastic cells.[7] The coral obtains up to 90% of its nutrition from photosynthetic zooxanthellae living in its tissue.[8][5] It is also heterotrophic, capturing zooplankton with stinging nematocysts on its tentacles.[9][10]

Staghorn coral is a simultaneous hermaphrodite that typically spawns in late summer, several days after a full moon.[11][12] Asexual reproduction via fragmentation is common, where broken branches reattach to form new colonies.[13][14] The species can grow up to 8 inches per year, making it one of the fastest-growing corals in the Western Atlantic.[5][2] White-band disease, first observed in 1979, has contributed to over 95% population decline in some areas.[15][16]

According to the Aquarium of the Pacific, staghorn corals display colors of golden, tan, or light brown, with white tips.[5]

What the specialist sources record

The Aquarium of the Pacific notes that staghorn corals require clear, oxygenated, warm tropical waters and can live to a depth of about 98 feet.[5] NOAA Fisheries reports that staghorn coral can form dense thickets in very shallow water and that its population declined 97 percent from white band disease beginning in the 1980s.[14] The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states that staghorn coral is the fastest-growing coral species in western Atlantic waters, growing four to eight inches per year.[2] A guide from the University of Florida gives a temperature range of 66°F to 86°F and salinities of 33 to 37 ppt for this species.[17]

The same guide notes that small populations of staghorn coral currently occur on nearshore patch reefs and hard bottom habitat in Florida.[17] GBIF holds 15,943 occurrence records for Acropora cervicornis as of October 2026.[18]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Staghorn coral", Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Staghorn coral", Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. facts only, no text reused. myfwc.com
  3. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Staghorn Coral", Aquarium of the Pacific; Carpenter, "One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts", Science, 2008-07-25, p. 560–563; Lirman, "Growth Dynamics of the Threatened Caribbean Staghorn Coral Acropora cervicornis: Influence of Host Genotype, Symbiont Identity, Colony Size, and Environmental Setting", PLOS ONE, 2014-09-30; W., "Proceedings of the Caribbean Acropora Workshop: potential application of the U.S. Endangered Species Act as a conservation strategy, April 16-18, en.wikipedia.org
  4. World Register of Marine Species, Acropora cervicornis (AphiaID 206989). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  5. "Staghorn Coral", Aquarium of the Pacific. facts only, no text reused. aquariumofpacific.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Carpenter, "One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts", Science, 2008-07-25, p. 560–563; A. Henry, "A GUIDE TO COMMON STONY CORALS OF FLORIDA", University of Florida, 2020-09-06 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Allemand, "Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition", Springer Netherlands, 2011, p. 119–150; Allemand, "Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition", Springer Netherlands, 2011, p. 119–150; Allemand, "Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition", Springer Netherlands, 2011, p. 119–150 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Muscatine, "Reef Corals: Mutualistic Symbioses Adapted to Nutrient-Poor Environments Get access Arrow", BioScience, 1977, p. 454–460; Muscatine, "Reef Corals: Mutualistic Symbioses Adapted to Nutrient-Poor Environments Get access Arrow", BioScience, 1977, p. 454–460 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Muscatine, "The effect of external nutrient resources on the population dynamics of zooxanthellae in a reef coral", Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 1989-04-22, p. 311–324 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "How do corals eat?", Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Harrison, "Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition", Springer Netherlands, 2011, p. 59–85; Miller, "Rapid settlement in broadcast spawning corals: implications for larval dispersal", Coral Reefs, 2003-07-01, p. 99–106 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lin, "Moonrise timing is key for synchronized spawning in coral Dipsastraea speciosa", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021; Lin, "Moonrise timing is key for synchronized spawning in coral Dipsastraea speciosa", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: C. Highsmith, "Reproduction by Fragmentation in Corals", Marine Ecology, 1982, p. 207–226; C. Highsmith, "Reproduction by Fragmentation in Corals", Marine Ecology, 1982, p. 207–226; C. Highsmith, "Reproduction by Fragmentation in Corals", Marine Ecology, 1982, p. 207–226 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  14. "Staghorn Coral NOAA Fisheries", NOAA Fisheries, 2023-12-08. facts only, no text reused. fisheries.noaa.gov
  15. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ware, "Survivorship and growth in staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) outplanting projects in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary", PLOS ONE, 2020-05-06 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  16. Wikipedia, "Staghorn coral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gignoux-Wolfsohn, "White Band Disease transmission in the threatened coral, Acropora cervicornis", Scientific Reports, 2012-11-13, p. 804; Gignoux-Wolfsohn, "Identification of Candidate Coral Pathogens on White Band Disease-Infected Staghorn Coral", PLOS ONE, 2015-08-04; Libro, "Genetic Signature of Resistance to White Band Disease in the Caribbean Staghorn Coral Acropora cervicornis", PLOS ONE, 2016-01-19 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  17. A. Henry, "A GUIDE TO COMMON STONY CORALS OF FLORIDA", University of Florida, 2020-09-06. facts only, no text reused. edis.ifas.ufl.edu
  18. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Acropora cervicornis (taxon key 5184681). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Staghorn coral (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. What is the scientific name of the staghorn coral?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Acropora cervicornis.

2. To which biological order does the staghorn coral belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Scleractinia.

3. What is the IUCN Red List category of the staghorn coral?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Critically Endangered.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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