Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Acroporidae

Listing Status:   

General Information

Elkhorn coral is a large, branching coral with thick and sturdy antler-like branches. Colonies are fast growing: branches increase in length by 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) per year, with colonies reaching their maximum size in approximately 10-12 years. Over the last 10,000 years, elkhorn coral has been one of the three most important Caribbean corals contributing to reef growth and development and providing essential fish habitat.

Lead Region:  National Marine Fisheries Service (Region 11)
Date Listed: Jun 8, 2006

  • States/US Territories in which the Elkhorn coral is known to occur:  Florida , Puerto Rico , Virgin Islands
  • Countries in which the the Elkhorn coral is known to occur:  Belize , Colombia , Costa Rica , Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico , Nicaragua , Panama , Venezuela

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 3 of 3 )
Date Citation Page Title
11/26/2008 73 FR 72209 72240 Critical Habitat for Threatened Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals; Final Rule
04/04/2007 72 FR 16284 16286 Adding Four Marine Taxa to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Southern Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals, and the Southern Resident killer whale DPS (Orcinus orca)
05/09/2006 70 FR 26852 26872 NFMS, Final Listing Determinations for Elkhorn Coral and Staghorn Coral

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search

No recovery information is available for the Elkhorn coral.

» Critical Habitat

Current Critical Habitat Documents (Showing 1 of 1 )
Date Citation Page Title Document Type Status
11/26/2008 73 FR 72209 72240 Critical Habitat for Threatened Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals; Final Rule Final Rule Active

To learn more about critical habitat please see http://criticalhabitat.fws.gov

» Conservation Plans

No conservation plans have been created for Elkhorn coral

» Petitions

No petition findings have been published for the Elkhorn coral.

» Life History

No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

» Other Resources

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Last updated: November 22, 2009