At a glance
Data from the scientific sources listed at the bottom.
Depth in the wild
0–15 m
Conservation
IUCN Red List: endangered (2023). CITES: Appendix II. The listed criterion is A3ce. 2 The CITES listing covers the whole order and has been in force since 18 January 1990; in the European Union it is in Annex B. 3
The coral
Group: SPS
Growth form: branching: short, thick branches according to WoRMS, arborescent according to Wallace et al.
Zooxanthellae: yes
Growth: From about 35 to 53 mm a year at Pulau Seribu, in Indonesia (Brown et al., 1985). 4 9
Where it lives
WoRMS gives it in the western Indo-Pacific, with records from Chagos, Australia, Fiji, American Samoa and Kingman Reef. 1 Species+ lists, among others, Madagascar, Mauritius, Oman, India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Guam, the Marshall Islands and Samoa. 3 SeaLifeBase gives a band from 35°N to 30°S and from 70°E to 170°W. 2
Life in the wild
Where it is found
Common on reef flats and shallow lagoons, less frequent on exposed outer slopes and in deep water. 1 2 As a depth range, Carpenter et al. give 0-5 m 10, Wallace and Dale 0-8 m on Big Broadhurst Reef 4 and Muir et al. go down to 15 m. 11 SeaLifeBase reports an isolated maximum of 65 m. 2 At Pulau Seribu, in Indonesia, it was studied on reef flats and crests, at both exposed and sheltered sites. 4 9 In the Kimberley, in Australia, it lives at less than 2 m, even in a pool that is cut off at low tide: there the water ranges from 22 to 31.5 °C over the year and varies by up to 7 °C in a day. 5
Reproduction
A hermaphrodite. 2 In crossing trials and four years of observations, most colonies of A. aspera and four other related species spawned within 90 minutes of one another. 7 In two years out of four, however, some A. aspera colonies no longer had gametes before the mass spawning: this mismatch helps keep it genetically distinct. 7
In the aquarium
From the experience of the BallingMania community.
Acropora aspera is an SPS coral, mainly green in colour, and we can class it among the hardiest to keep in an aquarium.
This Acropora, widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean, grows very fast, and when it is placed in the tank you need to bear in mind that it will soon cover the surrounding space with dense, sturdy branches.
Suitable even for beginners, it does however need stable KH, Ca and Mg values. It should be placed in an area with good light intensity and strong water movement. Very similar to Acropora nobilis, aspera, however, has dome-shaped axial corallites.
photo by: Matteo De Benedictis
What studies say about keeping it
Research data only, not advice for a home aquarium. In a 2025 study, 48 colonies obtained by fragmentation were grown in a 500 L flow-through tank, at 27 °C, under 14,000 K metal halides for 12 hours a day: in a year they reached about 10 cm. 8 After 8 days at 32 °C they lost about half their symbionts, and it took 126 days at 27 °C for symbionts, chlorophyll and stored fats to return to their initial values. 8
Did you know?
Sources
- Hoeksema B.W., Cairns S., Samimi-Namin K. (2026). Acropora aspera (Dana, 1846). World List of Scleractinia, via WoRMS.
- Palomares M.L.D., Pauly D. (eds.) (2026). Acropora aspera. SeaLifeBase.
- UNEP-WCMC (2026). Acropora aspera, CITES listings and distribution. Species+.
- Madin J. et al. (eds.) (2026). Acropora aspera. Coral Trait Database.
- Schoepf V., Stat M., Falter J.L., McCulloch M.T. (2015). Limits to the thermal tolerance of corals adapted to a highly fluctuating, naturally extreme temperature environment. Scientific Reports.
- Middlebrook R., Hoegh-Guldberg O., Leggat W. (2008). The effect of thermal history on the susceptibility of reef-building corals to thermal stress. Journal of Experimental Biology.
- Van Oppen M.J., Willis B.L., Van Rheede T., Miller D.J. (2002). Spawning times, reproductive compatibilities and genetic structuring in the Acropora aspera group: evidence for natural hybridization and semi-permeable species boundaries in corals. Molecular Ecology.
- Sikorskaya T.V., Ginanova T.T., Ermolenko E.V., Boroda A.V. (2025). Lipidomic and physiological changes in the coral Acropora aspera during bleaching and recovery. Scientific Reports.
- Brown B., Sya'rani L., Le Tissier M. (1985). Skeletal form and growth in Acropora aspera (Dana) from the Pulau Seribu, Indonesia. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, reference in the Coral Trait Database.
- Carpenter K.E., Abrar M., Aeby G. et al. (2008). One-third of reef-building corals face elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts. Science, reference in the Coral Trait Database.
- Muir P.R., Wallace C.C., Done T., Aguirre J.D. (2015). Limited scope for latitudinal extension of reef corals. Science, reference in the Coral Trait Database.
- Wallace C.C., Done B.J., Muir P.R. (2012). Revision and catalogue of worldwide staghorn corals Acropora and Isopora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) in the Museum of Tropical Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, reference in the Coral Trait Database.
Sources checked on 5 November 2026. Community texts and ratings are kept separate from the scientific data.