Acropora divaricata

Acropora divaricata is a table to corymbose Acropora with divaricating branches — branches that spread apart at wide angles — giving colonies an open, layered look between a cluster and a true plate. In aquaculture the typical colours are brown, green, and purple, with purple most often on the exposed branch tips. It is a versatile mid-form species in growth habit.

Care

Keep this advanced Acropora in a mature, stable SPS system. Alkalinity stability matters above all else — hold steady values and make any correction gradual — while calcium and magnesium stay consistent alongside. It requires high, strong random flow moving through its spreading branches, not a constant jet aimed at the colony, which strips one side and starves the other of movement. Light is high, with PAR 250–400 as the working range and slow acclimation for new frags. Judge health by an encrusting base, steady polyp extension, and new growth at the widely angled branch tips.

Placement and growth

Place it in the middle to top zone with bright light and flow from several directions. Its spreading habit needs space: keep at least 2 in of minimum clearance, and give wide room if it begins to table, so the horizontal branches are not crowded or shaded. Growth is moderate; once encrusted, the colony layers outward steadily and benefits from being left in one chosen spot.