Acropora tenuis belongs to the most frequently traded Acropora species in marine aquaristics. It is mass propagated in Indonesia in mariculture as cultured coral and is a real export hit. It is distributed from the Red Sea through the Indo-Pacific to the islands of the Central Pacific. It often grows corymbose - that is branched with branches of similar length in a clump. The radial corallites are characteristically scale-shaped with a clearly visible lip, and the terminal polyps are tubularly round. Visually similar species are Acropora selago with longer branches, Acropora vermiculata with thicker branches, and Acropora convexa and Acropora eurystoma; visual differentiation without microscopic examination of the skeletal structure on the dead specimen is more a matter of luck. Some of the most popular color forms of SPS in general belong to this species, for example the legendary Walt Disney and Homewrecker color morphs, both of which produce "red" or pink colors under blue light + filter. Acropora tenuis is still one of the more well-behaved species as far as Acropora and its care requirements are concerned - it often grows reasonably well even with suboptimal water values, although it is optimal with almost undetectable nutrients, strong current and strong lighting.
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