Acropora abrolhosensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acropora abrolhosensis |
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Acropora abrolhosensis is a type of coral that lives in the ocean. It's part of a group called acroporid corals. This coral was first described by a scientist named John Veron in 1985. You can often find it in calm, protected areas like lagoons and shallow parts of coral reefs. Sadly, it's considered a vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List, which means its population is shrinking. Most of these corals live near Western Australia, but they can be found in many other places too. It's also protected under CITES Appendix II, which helps control trade of endangered plants and animals.
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About This Coral
Acropora abrolhosensis corals grow in shapes that look like trees. They can be pink, blue, or brown, and the tips of their branches are usually a lighter color. These tree-shaped colonies have many straight branches.
Coral Structure
Each branch has a large opening at its end, called an axial corallite. Along the sides of the branches, there are smaller openings called radial corallites. These side openings are round and have slightly swollen ends. The main axial corallites are about 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters wide.
Size and Habitat
These coral colonies can grow quite large. They can be over 10 m (33 ft) wide and 2 m (6.6 ft) high. Sometimes, they grow very close together, making a compact shape. You can find Acropora abrolhosensis in water depths from 2 to 18 m (6.6 to 59.1 ft). They prefer calm, enclosed lagoons and the gentle slopes of sheltered reefs. This coral is similar to other corals like Acropora copiosa and Acropora loisetteae.
Where This Coral Lives
Acropora abrolhosensis can be found in many parts of the world's oceans.
Global Locations
You can find it in the waters around Australia, including the famous Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. It also lives in the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and near the Solomon Islands. This coral is common in the western Pacific Ocean. It's especially abundant around the Houtman Abrolhos Islands in Australia. Scientists also believe it might live near the Marshall Islands and Fiji.
Threats to the Coral
This coral faces several dangers. Its habitats are being destroyed, and it suffers from coral bleaching. Bleaching happens when corals get stressed, often from warmer ocean temperatures, and lose their color and food source. The population of Acropora abrolhosensis might also be affected by the Acanthaster placini, also known as the Crown-of-thorns starfish, which eats coral.
Conservation Status
Because its population is shrinking, Acropora abrolhosensis is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. It's also protected under Appendix II of CITES. This means that international trade of this coral is controlled to prevent it from becoming more endangered. The exact number of these corals is unknown. However, their population is likely threatened by the overall decline of coral reefs worldwide, rising ocean temperatures causing bleaching, and diseases. This coral prefers water temperatures between 22.22 to 28.63 °C (72.00 to 83.53 °F).
How It Was Discovered
Acropora abrolhosensis was first officially described by a scientist named John Veron. He identified this species in 1985 while studying coral reefs in Australia.
