Stony Coral

Acropora solitaryensis

• Group: Coral
• Typical depth: 2–30 m
• IUCN status: EN

This branching stony coral builds colonies on subtropical reef slopes, walls, and submerged reefs, from just below the surface down to around 30 metres. Like others in its genus it grows by laying down a calcium carbonate skeleton and feeds partly through algae living inside its tissue, partly by catching plankton at night. Reef loss and bleaching have pushed it onto the endangered list.

Taxonomy: Animalia › Cnidaria › Hexacorallia › Scleractinia › Acroporidae › Acropora

Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 288248.