Staghorn coral (Acropora)

Acropora millepora

Invertebrates › Acropora and Montipora corals (Scleractinia) › Acroporidae (Acropora and Montipora corals)

Acropora millepora is a species of branching stony coral native to the western Indo-Pacific where it is found in shallow water from the east coast of Africa to the coasts of Japan and Australia.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Expert / facility

FamilyAcropora and Montipora corals

WaterSaltwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.

Water alkalinity	7–11 dKH General coral-reef chemistry recommendation applied to a stony coral; ULNS exception below, not a species-specific experimental optimum.	362
Water alkalinity ulns	7–8 dKH Same author recommends narrower range for SPS in ultra-low-nutrient systems; keep context separate.	362
Water calcium	380–450 ppm General calcifying reef-organism recommendation, not a species-specific tolerance experiment.	362

Care guide

Group care guide

Small-polyp stony (SPS) corals

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Shallow, high-flow coral reefs. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Acropora commonly need strong light, water movement and stable alkalinity/calcium. Avoid equating low nutrients with zero nutrients: Tidal Gardens reports better results with measurable nitrate/phosphate and supplementary feeding than with ultra-low-nutrient practice.

Sources 119 394

Diet

Mostly from light; some benefit from fine particulate foods.

Sources 119 394

Health watch

Rapid tissue necrosis and pests (Acropora-eating flatworms).

Sources 119 394

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It was first described in 1834 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg as Heteropora millepora.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Acropora millepora” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Acropora millepora is a species of branching stony coral native to the western Indo-Pacific where it is found in shallow water from the east coast of Africa to the coasts of Japan and Australia. It was first described in 1834 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg as Heteropora millepora. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Many reefs that have a high coral cover also have surprisingly turbid conditions, like fringing reefs around the inshore continental islands of the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Like all coral, the polyps of Acropora millepora are social, sessile animals. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	Reef building corals, such as Acropora millepora, can reproduce sexually in an event called "mass spawning". — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Acropora millepora is a hard coral. — Animal Diversity Web

Data and studies

Veterinary & husbandry research

Coral larvae for restoration and research: a large-scale method for rearing Acropora millepora larvae, inducing settlement, and establishing symbiosis Pollock FJ et al., PeerJ 2017
Comparing the capacity of five different dietary treatments to optimise growth and nutritional composition in two scleractinian corals Conlan JA et al., PloS one 2018
Producing Coral Offspring with Cryopreserved Sperm: A Tool for Coral Reef Restoration Hagedorn M et al., Scientific reports 2017
Chemical and physical environmental conditions underneath mat- and canopy-forming macroalgae, and their effects on understorey corals Hauri C et al., PloS one 2010

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 8 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Some federal rules apply

CITES Appendix II. Appendix II: international trade needs CITES export permits. CITES doesn't restrict buying a captive-bred animal within the U.S.; keep your purchase records. 173 186

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
6 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Tidal Gardens: Acropora Coral Care Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
SeaLifeBase (Palomares & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchFishBase's sister database for non-fish marine and freshwater life; values are referenced.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.