Home Small Polyp Stony Corals Acropora Corals Understanding the Difference between Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals

Understanding the Difference between Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals

Understanding the difference between Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis) used to be much easier to do when diving sites in the Caribbean Sea, the Southeastern US and along the Gulf coast. These days, however, these Acropora species, which make up the foundation of the reefs in these areas, are much more difficult to find due to habitat degradation, bacterial diseases, pollutants, overharvesting, ocean warming and acidification and other stressors. As dire as the current situation remains for these and other corals indigenous to these areas, there is cause for optimism, as dedicated professionals have recently stepped up to replant colonies of the corals grown from Elkhorn and Staghorn coral frags. Also, quite recently the aquarists at Florida Aquarium and other facilities reported a breakthrough in successfully getting these corals to spawn in captivity, providing genetic diversity that will be essential for protecting and restoring these species in their natural habitats.

In other good news, these two Acropora species are commonly found in the hobbyist trade in local coral retailers, as well as online coral frag sellers like CoralFrags.com. But understanding the differences when they are small frags can be difficult. After all, they aren’t called “sister corals” for nothing and they share many similarities, such as:

They are both small polyp stony (SPS) corals
They are both endangered and protected in the wild
They are both actively being propagated and replanted in their natural habitat, with very respectable success
They both host photosynthetic and symbiotic zooxanthellae in their tissues, which provide glucose and other nutrients essential to the host coral
They both have a brownish or golden hue to the colonies when healthy

So, how do you tell the difference between Elkhorn and Staghorn corals? There are two defining morphologies that differentiate these species:

Branching vs. plating – Staghorn corals have the distinctive SPS branching model, where the colony sends out new branches as it grows. These branches eventually split into two, three or four new branches, which then grow and split with each branch becoming thicker, stronger and more able to bear the weight of subsequent branches as the colony grows. Elkhorn corals are tabling corals, which grow branches that become flattened and thick that sometimes resemble the thicker lobes of elk antlers and other times look like the broad expanse of a table, with small, short branches reaching toward the light.
Fingers vs. lobes – The branches of Staghorn corals remain thin and reach more or less toward the surface of the ocean, stretching ever closer to the life-giving sunlight that the zooxanthellae living in the colony need for photosynthesis. As the colony increases in size, these fingers become thickened but still retain the look of a tree branching out as it grows. As Elkhorn coral colonies grow, occasionally, the tabling growth model will split into thicker lobes that reach outward, rather than upward. The zooxanthellae living in the tissues of this species rely on surface area for capturing the maximum amount of sunlight. Occasionally, new growth will take a shallow upward trajectory so that another table can grow and harvest more energy from the sun.

Elkhorn and Staghorn Coral Frags for Sale Online

For coral hobbyists, it’s difficult to determine the difference between these Acropora species, as Elkhorn frags and Staghorn coral frags are often too small to see the different morphologies. They have to rely on the professionalism of their trusted coral frag retailers. At CoralFrags.com, we go above and beyond to ensure that the online coral frags we sell our customers are the same species in the description. If that means that we have to grow out a mother colony to be certain, then that’s what we do. If you’re looking for palmata and cervicornis frags online for your display, please browse our selection and buy with confidence. That way we look at it, we can’t be successful unless we help our customers be successful and that approach is manifested in every aspect of our customer service. Thanks for reading!

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