Acropora navini

Acropora navini is sold as a staghorn Acropora, forming upright branching colonies in the familiar staghorn habit. Pieces in aquaculture are typically blue to purple, with colour concentrated toward the tips under strong light. Growth is moderate once a frag has encrusted and settled into its position.

Care

Treat it as an advanced Acropora for a mature, stable SPS system. Alkalinity stability matters above all else — hold a steady target with minimal swing, and keep calcium and magnesium consistent to support uninterrupted growth. Provide high light, roughly PAR 250–400, acclimating new frags gradually, and strong random flow that shifts direction rather than a constant jet on the branches. An encrusting base and consistent polyp extension are the health signs to trust; stalled growth or colour loss usually follows a parameter swing or a change made too quickly, so correct slowly.

Placement and growth

Place it at the top of the aquascape with at least 2 in of clearance from neighbouring corals, and extra space for staghorn branches to extend without shading corals below. Mount it upright and secure, let the base encrust fully, and avoid moving established colonies, whose branches are brittle.

Identification notes

The species-level identification of material sold under this name is disputed in the trade, and that dispute should be kept in view: the name is best treated as a trade label for a staghorn form, not as a settled species identification. Judge a piece by its health, colour and growth form rather than by the certainty of its name.