ORA Marshall Island Green Subulata Acropora

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Table Acropora; Green Subulata Acropora

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific, Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Ryukyu Islands

Habitat

Shallow reef slopes and protected lagoons with high Acropora diversity, generally sheltered from strong wave action, at depths of roughly 15-80 feet

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Difficult

Coral type

SPS

Temperament

Peaceful

Growth form

Plating

Adult size

1.5 – 24 in (3.8 – 61 cm)

Spread

78 in (198 cm)

Growth rate

Fast

Placement

High

Water

Temperature

76 – 80 °F (24 – 27 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.024 – 1.026 SG

PAR

200 – 350 PAR

Flow

High

Light

High

Reef care

Nutrient preference

Low

Alk/Ca uptake

High

Target feeding

Beneficial

Give it room

6 in (15 cm)

Colors

Green, Orange, Blue, Purple, Brown

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Photosynthetic

Foods

Coral food, Zooplankton, Phytoplankton

Propagation

Fragging

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Care guide

Overview

ORA Marshall Island Green Subulata Acropora is an aquacultured tabling SPS coral prized for its green branching colonies that flatten into broad horizontal plates. It demands intense, stable lighting, strong turbulent flow, and closely maintained calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels. Mount high in the tank with clearance from neighbors, as growth is fast and colonies can spread widely.

Care

This tabling Acropora needs intense, stable lighting and strong, turbulent flow to develop good color and dense branching. Water chemistry must be kept close to natural seawater values, with steady calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium, since Acropora species react poorly to swings in these parameters. New colonies should be light-acclimated gradually over several weeks to avoid bleaching, and placed high in the tank near the light source once established.

Placement & acclimation

Mount frags or colonies on rock rubble or a frag plug using cyanoacrylate gel or reef epoxy, positioning them in high flow near the top of the tank. New arrivals should be acclimated to light gradually, starting under moderate intensity and increasing over three to four weeks to prevent bleaching. Leave adequate open space around the piece since mature colonies form wide horizontal tables.

Feeding

Most of its energy comes from zooxanthellae under strong lighting, but growth and polyp extension improve with supplemental feeding of fine zooplankton or commercial SPS coral foods. Target feeding is not required but can be beneficial during lights-out or low-flow periods when polyps are extended. Avoid overfeeding, since excess nutrients can dull coloration and promote nuisance algae.

Neighbors

Keep several inches of clearance from neighboring corals, since Acropora branches grow quickly and can overtop or contact slower species. It is not particularly aggressive but can be stung by more chemically active soft corals and LPS, so spacing and flow direction matter more than direct aggression. Small commensal shrimp, crabs, and gobies often take up residence within the branches without harming the colony.

Fragging

Fragging is straightforward: branches are cut or snapped with bone cutters and mounted on plugs or rubble, where they heal and continue growing. Frags should be kept in stable, established systems until healed before moving them to lower-flow recovery areas if needed. This species is widely propagated in aquaculture, including by ORA in the Marshall Islands.

Pests & problems

Watch for tissue recession at the base or branch tips, which usually signals unstable water chemistry, insufficient flow, or a lighting change introduced too quickly. Common pests include red bugs, Acropora-eating flatworms, and coral-eating nudibranchs, all of which can spread rapidly through an SPS-dominated tank if not caught early. Brown jelly infections can follow physical damage from fragging or shipping and should be addressed promptly with isolation and flow adjustment.

Sources

1. ORA Marshall Island Green Subulata Acropora - Bulk Reef Supply
2. Acropora subulata (Acropora subulata) – Complete Care Guide | Reeflings
3. Acropora subulata Stony Coral
4. Corals of the World - Acropora subulata

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