Acropora are commonly called staghorn corals and they are one of the most visible coral genera. There are over 300 species of Acropora with just two species occuring in the Caribbean. In general, Acropora prefers shallow water with strong water motion. These corals grow very fast and under the right conditions they are often the dominant group of corals on the reef.

Acropora is characterized by having an axial corallite at the lead growing edge which is bordered by radial corallites. The diversity of colony shapes can be loosely grouped into staghorns, tabling, bottlebrush, digitate, pillow-shaped and many variations in between. Acropora are also some of the most brilliantly colored corals found on reefs. The axial and radial corallites often have contrasting colors from the growing margin.

Although once thought impossible to keep or grow, advancements in coral husbandry have improved to the point where these corals are grown at respectable rates. Their main requirements include strong light intensity of a proper spectrum and fast water flow speed. Additionally, Acropora prefer nutrient poor waters with stable water chemistry and temperature. Some reef aquarium experience is recommended for successfully keeping Acropora in aquaria.

Propagation through fragmentation is very straightforward. Fragments are often fastened with super glue or aquarium safe epoxies.