| Acropora grandis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri) among the branch tips ofAcropora grandis | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Acroporidae |
| Genus: | Acropora |
| Species: | A. grandis |
| Binomial name | |
| Acropora grandis (Brook, 1892)[2] | |
| Synonyms | |
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Acropora grandis is aspecies ofcolonialstony coral. It is a large species with multiple branches forming a bush-like structure and is found onreefs and in lagoons. It is native to the tropical westernIndo-Pacific and has a range extending from East Africa to the east coast of Australia.
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Acropora grandis is acolonial species of staghorn coral that can grow into a large clump as much as 7 metres (23 ft) across. In shallow water it tends to grow as a prostrate, tangled bush with thick branches but in deeper water it has a more upright and open structure. The radialcorallites are varied in shape and size and those near the tips of the branches are tubular and elongated. The general colour is usually reddish-brown but can be various shades of blue, green or purple. The branch tips are a paler colour, have multiple axial corallites and are fragile and easily damaged.[3] Thepolyps usually have twelvetentacles, one of which is elongated, and are connected together inside the skeleton by a maze of interconnecting channels.[4]
Acropora grandis is found in shallow water in the western Indo-Pacific. Its range includesMadagascar,Mozambique, theRed Sea,Mauritius,Malaysia,Indonesia,New Guinea and theGreat Barrier Reef. It grows in various reef locations but is more common on the upper slopes and inlagoons.[3] The depth range is 5 to 15 metres (16 to 49 ft) and it favours a well-lit site with a strong current.[5]
Acropora grandis is azooxanthellate species of coral.[2] This means that it hassymbioticdinoflagellates living within its tissues. Thesephotosynthetic microalgae, combined withpigments in the tissue, are responsible for the colour of the colony and provide a proportion of its nutritional needs.[4]
Acropora grandis liberates itsgametes into the sea where fertilisation takes place.Synchronised spawning takes place, and in the part of its range in theNorthern Hemisphere, this is four or five days after the full moon. The larvae areplanktonic and drift with the currents before settling on the seabed to start a new colony.[4]
When fragments ofAcropora grandis were planted into a mid-waternursery bed, over 95% survived and these were later transplanted onto a reef atPhi Phi Islands, Thailand that had been devastated by the2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.[6] This was successful and showed that damaged reefs can be regenerated with the help of fast-growing corals.[6]
