Staghorn Coral: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Ocean Oddities · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Staghorn coral can lay down up to five centimetres of new skeleton for every centimetre of existing structure each year.
2. Staghorn coral hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae, sometimes over one million cells per square centimetre. They supply up to 90 % of its food needs.
3. Staghorn coral is named for its antler-like shape. Its thick, upright branches can grow beyond two metres.
4. Staghorn coral is one of the fastest-growing corals in the western Atlantic, and an essential builder of its reefs.
5. Staghorn branches are most often found on fore, back and patch reefs where the water is clear and no deeper than twenty metres.

The quiz

1. How much new skeleton can staghorn coral lay down per centimetre of structure each year?

• Up to one millimetre
• Up to five centimetres (correct)
• Up to half a centimetre
• Up to one metre

It can lay down up to five centimetres of new skeleton per centimetre each year.

2. What share of its nutritional needs can zooxanthellae supply to the coral?

• Up to 90 % (correct)
• Up to 9 %
• Up to 20 %
• Up to 50 %

They supply up to 90 % of the coral's nutritional requirements.

3. What inspired the staghorn coral's name?

• Its red colour
• Its spiky skin
• Its hunting style
• Its antler-like shape (correct)

Its antler-like shape inspired its name.

4. What role does staghorn coral play on reefs?

• An essential reef builder (correct)
• A reef cleaner
• A reef predator
• A reef decorator only

It grows fast and is an essential reef-building coral.

5. How deep does the water usually go where staghorn branches are most often found?

• No deeper than two metres
• No deeper than two hundred metres
• No deeper than twenty metres (correct)
• No deeper than one metre

They are most often in clear water no deeper than twenty metres.

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