Elkhorn coral
Acropora palmata
(Lamarck, 1816)

Description:
Colonies with thick rounded or flat branches, without distinct axial corallites. Colony diameter up to 3.5 meter, and more than 1 meter in height. Branch diameter between 5 and 25 cm, and 1-3 cm thick .

Color:
Golden-brown with light rims.

Corallites:
Corallites are porous protruding tubes, less than 5 mm long and 0.5-0.8 mm in diameter. They are densely packed, with 1-2 mm in between. A columella is absent.

Habitat:
On the reef at a higher level than Acropora cervicornis and Acropora prolifera up to within the reach of waves. Not in inner bays.

Distribution:
Abundant to common Bahamas and Caribbean; common to occasional South Florida.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Subclass Hexacorallia
Order Scleractinia
Genus Acropora
Species Acropora palmata

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Elkhorn coral [English]
Elandsgeweikoraal [Dutch]
Acropore bois d'élan [French]
Corail corne d'élan [French]
Elchgewei-Koralle [German]
Koral kachu grandi [Papiamentu]

Humann, P., 1993. Reef Coral Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

Roos, P.J., 1964. The distribution of reef corals in Curacao. Stud. Fauna Curacao, 20: 1-51.

Roos, P.J., 1971. The shallow-water stony corals of the Netherlands Antilles. Studies on the fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean islands, 130.

Voss, G.L., 1976. Seashore life of Florida and the Carribbean. Banyan Books, Inc. Miami, Florida.

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