Acropora nasuta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acropora nasuta |
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Acropora nasuta is a type of branching coral that looks like a stony tree. It belongs to the Acroporidae family, which includes many well-known corals. You can find this coral in the shallow waters of coral reefs across the western and central Indo-Pacific region. Like other Acropora corals, it can be harmed by coral bleaching and diseases. Because of these threats, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed it as "Near Threatened". This means it could become endangered in the future if things don't improve.
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What Does Acropora nasuta Look Like?
Acropora nasuta is a small colony of coral that grows in clumps. These clumps often have flat tops, making them easy to spot. Its branches are thin and pointy, usually about 12 mm (0.5 in) wide.
The tiny cups where the coral polyps live are called corallites. These corallites usually line up in neat rows. Some are long and thin, while others lie flat against the branch. The main corallite at the tip of a branch might be bigger or the same size as the others. This coral is usually creamy-white or light brown. Sometimes, the tips of its branches have a pretty bluish color.
Where Does Acropora nasuta Live?
Acropora nasuta is a common coral species. It lives in the western and central Indo-Pacific Ocean. Its home stretches from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east coast of Africa. You can also find it near India, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Australia.
This coral prefers shallow waters, typically between three and fifteen meters (about ten to fifty feet) deep. It mostly grows on the upper parts of coral reef slopes and along the edges of reefs.
How Does Acropora nasuta Live and Eat?
Acropora nasuta is a zooxanthellate coral. This means it has tiny plant-like helpers called dinoflagellate algae living inside its body. These algae use photosynthesis (like plants do) to make food from sunlight. The coral gets a lot of its energy from this food.
Besides the algae, the coral also eats on its own. At night, its tiny polyps come out of their cups. They stretch out their tentacles to catch tiny floating creatures called plankton from the water.
Many other sea creatures like to live among the branches of Acropora nasuta. You can often find different kinds of barnacles growing on the coral. Small fish, crabs, and shrimps also make their homes there, hiding safely within the coral's branches. However, there's one creature that likes to eat Acropora corals: the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci).
Why Is Acropora nasuta "Near Threatened"?
The biggest danger to Acropora nasuta is the damage happening to the coral reefs where it lives. Even though it's quite common, it's a shallow-water coral. This makes it more sensitive to problems like coral bleaching and coral diseases. Bleaching happens when corals get stressed, often by warm water, and lose their colorful algae helpers.
People also collect this coral for reef aquariums, which can add to the pressure on its populations. Scientists also expect that rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification (when the ocean becomes more acidic) will harm corals in general. Because of all these reasons, the IUCN has listed Acropora nasuta as "Near Threatened". This means it's important to protect its habitats to keep it from becoming endangered.
Images for kids
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Fish often hide among the branches
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A. nasuta in the Maldives
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