Staghorn or Acropora corals are among the most important and abundant groups of reef builders. There are over 300 species of Acropora corals found throughout the world, many of them in the Indo-Pacific and three species in Hawaii. They are found in a wide variety of habitats from the surface to depths of 100 feet. Many small reef fishes live near acropora colonies and retreat into the thicket of branches if threatened.

Here is a short list of some of the most common species found in the aquarium trade:

Acropora aculeus Acropora aspera Acropora austera Acropora clathrata Acropora echinata Acropora formosa Acropora humilis Acropora hyacinthus Acropora insignis Acropora kimbeensis

Acropora kirstyae Acropora loisetteae Acropora lokani Acropora loripes Acropora microphthalma Acropora millepora Acropora nana Acropora nasuta Acropora pectiniatus Acropora prostrata

Acropora samoensis Acropora sarmentosa Acropora sp Acropora secale Acropora subulata Acropora tenuis Acropora tortuosa Acropora valida Acropora vermiculata Acropora yongei

Grow Forms
Depending on the species and location, Acropora may grow as plates, slender or bushy with branches. Dramatic changes in colony form are also seen within a single species. Some Acropora corals may form rounded colonies in shallow water, but flattened plates in deeper water where greater surface area is needed to capture the diminished light. The most common growth form imported for the aquarium trade is bushy in appearance with short, compact branches.
With that many species currently known, grow forms, and colours, identifying individual species can be a tricky task.

In the aquarium
The ideal conditions for the Acropora coral is an established reef aquarium with bright lighting. Metal halides are known to be the best lighting but they can also thrive under T-5 or compact fluorescents. Along with lighting, Acropora corals prefer strong, intermittent water flow.
If given the right conditions, Acropora corals grow quickly and individual colonies can exceed 1 meter across in the wild. In a well maintained reef aquarium, finger-sized fragments can easily grow into basketball-sized colonies in 1 to 2 years.

Propagation
Acropora corals reproduce sexually or asexually.
Sexual reproduction: Occurs via the release of eggs and sperm into the water.
Asexual reproduction:Occurs via fragmentation, when a branch breaks off a colony, reattaches to the substrate and grows.

Acropora as well as most all other SPS corals are very easy to propagate. It is as simple as breaking off a branch and attaching it to a piece of rock or rubble. One of the best way to attach frags is to use Super Glue Gel or any cyanoacrylate based gel glue (make sure you by a gel type glue).

Here is a short video showing how to frag Acropora corals

Article written by www.aquariumslife.com
References: Wikipedia

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