Photo copyright Tim Nicholson.
Taken in the Egyptian Red Sea.
Coral trout in front of table coral

Acropora corals are distinctive - no other corals resemble their complex branching structure, which provides ideal habitat for many coral reef organisms.

Acropora species appear to be among the fastest growing corals, with upward growth between 10 and 20 cm per year.

Acropora is usually branched, except when young, but the size and shape of the branches vay according to the species concerned.