Range: Tropical and subtropical marine waters around the world

Habitat: Shallow to deep water depending on the species

Size: Up to 8 feet (2.4 m) across and 4 feet (1.2 m) tall

Diet: Plankton and nutrients provided by symbiotic algae

Threats: Sea stars, sea urchins, sea slugs, as well as anthropogenic threats

Lifespan: Hundreds of years

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing staghorn corals. These invertebrates get their common name from their iconic shape: they look like branching deer's antlers! It's worth mentioning, however, that not all staghorn corals look like this. Some have fused branches that form plate or table-like structures, others look more like columns. There are many species in the staghorn coral family, so diversity in their appearances is to be expected. 

These are colony-forming animals. Each full colony is made up of many smaller polyps which take part in eating, reproducing, and more. Each staghorn coral polyp sits inside a cup-shaped space and is connected to the rest of the colony inside the "skeleton" of the coral. Staghorn corals get their color both from pigments and symbiotic algae that live with them and provide them nutrients. They come in all sorts of colors!

These invertebrates live in tropical and subtropical marine waters around the world. They're often the foundational species of a reef system and can be a clear indicator of health. If staghorn coral aren't present, the reef may be experiencing stress. When they are present, these corals provide habitat to fish, shrimp, crabs, barnacles, and many other types of animals, some of which specifically and only use staghorns as a place to call home.

Sea stars, sea urchins, sea slugs, and other invertebrates predate staghorn corals, but their greatest threats are human related. Rising ocean temperatures, surface runoff and pollution, ocean acidification, and over harvesting of herbivorous fish that help keep reefs clean all cause stress on staghorn coral species which can lead to death. In a healthy environment, these amazing invertebrates are believed to live hundreds of years!

Staghorn corals in large aggregations form "thickets" with vast underwater fields of the interlocking branches from different colonies. The polyps in each colony are hermaphroditic though they rarely self fertilize. Instead, these colony animals synchronize their breeding so that eggs and sperm are released into the water column simultaneously and float to the ocean's surface where they intermingle. It takes about five days for the larvae to develop and settle to the seafloor to form a new colony. 

These corals can also asexually reproduce when a piece breaks off the main colony and forms a new colony. This is referred to as fragging in the aquarium trade and occurs naturally in the wild during heavy storms, such as hurricanes. 

It takes 3 to 8 years for staghorn corals to reach reproductive maturity, however, they're also known as some of the fastest growing coral species alive today. In a single year, a staghorn coral branch can grow 8 inches (20 cm)! Some of the largest colonies reach 8 feet (2.4 m) across and 4 feet (1.2 m) tall!

For more facts on staghorn corals, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!