Acropora Aspera Coral (Acropora aspera) is a branching or table-forming Acropora associated with shallow reef flats, lagoons, and other tropical reef habitat.
See Acropora Aspera Coral clearly
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Responsible care profile
Plan for a spreading branch or table form and do not translate shallow-water tolerance into permission for abrupt light exposure. Any displayed preferred aquarium volume is an MLL planning example, not a demonstrated species minimum; size the permanent placement for the actual colony, growth and maintenance access.
The structured record includes multiple references and at least one dedicated aquarium-care source.
6 referenced sources- Care level
- Advanced
- Minimum volume
- Not specified in current guidance
- Preferred volume
- 125.5 US gal (475 L)
- Adult size
- Not specified in current record
- Reef compatibility
- Reef-Safe with Caution
- Temperament
- Fast growing stinging stony coral
- Social plan
- single documented colony with growth space
- Minimum footprint
- 120 × 50 cm / 47.2 × 19.7 in mature SPS reef
Water
Existing profile husbandry guidance — not a species-specific experimental optimum · Profile husbandry ranges are planning guidance, not demonstrated physiological limits. No different calcium or magnesium target is inferred from a trade colour name.
- Temperature
- 75.2–80.6 °F (24–27 °C)
- Salinity / specific gravity
- 1.024–1.026 SG
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Calcium
- 400–450 ppm
- Alkalinity
- 7.5–9 dKH
- Magnesium
- 1250–1400 ppm
Habitat
Placement: upper shallow-reef zone with strong broad flow · stable permanent mount; high measured reef lighting; wide branching growth envelope
Spacing: Allow for branch extension, shading and contact aggression. Allow full tissue expansion and future growth. Check night-time sweeper or filament reach, including downstream neighbours, and increase clearance if contact is possible. No universal safe distance applies.
stable permanent mount; high measured reef lighting; wide branching growth envelope.
Not applicable; keep every branch in oxygenated moving water.
Light: High, stable reef lighting after gradual acclimation.
Flow: Strong random turbulent flow without a constant tissue-stripping jet.
Feeding
photosymbiotic planktivore · Stable light and dissolved nutrients are foundational; occasional fine marine plankton may supplement growth. · Food options: fine marine plankton · Prioritize stable alkalinity, temperature and salinity over chasing rapid growth.
Compatibility
Allow for branch extension, shading and contact aggression.
Avoid or assess carefully: corallivorous fish, stinging neighbouring corals, unstable new aquariums.
What the evidence establishes
Coral editorial batch 1: targeted source/wording corrections; this date does not validate every numerical range or establish full lifetime care.
Acclimation and quarantine
Require lawful provenance, quarantine and inspect for flatworms, red bugs and tissue loss; acclimate light gradually.
Stocking safeguards
Aquarium setting: Home aquarium. Starvation risk: moderate.
After chemistry, flow and lighting remain stable for an extended period.
- No immature or chemically unstable aquarium
- No undocumented CITES origin
- No placement without pest quarantine
Special risks
- Rapid tissue necrosis
- Acropora-eating flatworms
- Red bugs
- Light shock
- Regulated trade
Habitat and Distribution
A branching or table-forming Acropora associated with shallow reef flats, lagoons, and other tropical reef habitat. Its documented range includes Indo-Pacific, Australia, Torres Strait.
Feeding and Ecological Role
Receives most energy from photosynthetic symbionts and supplements it by capturing plankton and suspended material. Corals of the World treats this taxon as a species complex; source-labelled photographs do not independently resolve its component identities.
Conservation and Responsible Sourcing
Consult current assessment and CITES sources; shallow reef habitat is exposed to bleaching and other cumulative pressures. Verify legal origin, collection method, and current trade requirements before acquisition.
Editorial and Source Review
Reviewed 2026-10-20 in coral batch 1. Editorial structure, source support and photographic identity are separate checks; this review does not certify every biological claim or specimen identification.
Image confidence: Source-assigned identity retained; independent species diagnosis not established.. Local contact sheet batch-01-contact.jpg examined for gross mismatch and image context; source filenames and credits are provenance evidence, not diagnostic proof.
Review findings
- Corals of the World corroborates corymbose/table growth and shallow habitats, but explicitly treats this as a species complex; add this qualification.
- The 285-litre minimum has no matched supporting minimum-space evidence in the supplied citations. Remove it as a verified minimum; retain qualitative clearance guidance and the preferred-volume planning example with explicit scope.
Evidence still needed
- A source-matched minimum lifetime enclosure has not been established; assess the actual colony and growth envelope.
A living record
Taxonomy is checked against WoRMS and species context against Corals of the World; trade language points to the current CITES Appendices. Generic Acropora photographs remain genus-bound and are not assigned to species from appearance alone. Public content last reviewed October 20, 2026.
- World Register of Marine Species — Acropora aspera ↗Taxonomic authority
- Corals of the World — Acropora aspera ↗Scientific reference
- CITES Appendices ↗International treaty authority