Staghorn Coral

About

Found on upper reef slopes across a vast stretch of the Indo-Pacific, Acropora monticulosa is one of the more architecturally impressive members of an already dramatic genus. In the wild it can develop into enormous dome-shaped structures spanning well over three metres, built from what look like clusters of upturned hands. Each subcolony producing thick, digitate branches that taper toward a small axial corallite. Where wave energy is intense, the branchlets take on a more compact, pyramid-like form, a neat example of how this coral physically adapts to its surroundings. Coloration tends toward blue, which often reads as purple in photographs, or a creamy tone, typically with pale contrasting tips that give colonies a two-tone look. Radial corallites are consistently sized and tend to line up in neat rows along the branches. In the aquarium, this species demands the kind of environment that mirrors its natural home. Very high light and vigorous, sustained water movement. It is firmly in the advanced category, best suited to reefers who already have stable, mature systems dialed in. The sheer potential size of mature colonies is worth keeping in mind when thinking about long-term placement in any display tank.