Elkhorn coral ( Acropora palmata ), Molasses Reef, Florida Keys.

Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) — Elkhorn coral ( Acropora palmata ), Molasses Reef, Florida Keys.

Creator: Jstuby, Elkhorn coral 3 Molasses Reef 20080309.jpg, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. License deed: [CC0 1.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

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Species record

Elkhorn Coral

Acropora palmata

Explore the Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Elkhorn coral is a branching reef-building coral of the Caribbean. Large colonies grow on shallow reefs, where their broad branches add structure; ocean warming, disease, hurricanes and pollution are major pressures.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Cnidarians
  3. Class: Corals and sea anemones
  4. Order: Scleractinia
  5. Family: Acroporidae
  6. Genus: Acropora

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
shallow tropical coral reefs, Caribbean reef crests and wave-exposed reef zones
Selected regions
North America

Conservation status

The Ark records: Critically Endangered.

Did you know?

  • Its thick, sturdy branches look like elk antlers.
  • Its branches can grow about 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) longer in a year.

More images

A photograph of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata).

Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) — smallmouth grunt Haemulon chrysargyreum and elkhorn coral Acropora palmata.

Creator: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, Smallmouth grunt Haemulon chrysargyreum and elkhorn coral Acropora palmata (2412819097).jpg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. License deed: [CC BY 2.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY 2.0

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Sources and attribution