Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Staghorn coral

Acropora cervicornis · Also called: Coral cuerno de ciervo

Protection: Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act.[1]

Facts

  • Golden tan to pale brown with white tips and antler-like branches, usually growing from a central trunk.[1]
  • Found in clear water about 15 to 60 feet deep. One of the fastest-growing corals, and broken pieces can reattach and form new colonies.[1]
  • NOAA runs coral nurseries that grow fragments for planting back on reefs, and has critical habitat in Puerto Rico.[1]
  • Under Puerto Rico's coral reef law, removing or damaging any coral can get you fined.[2]

Where it's been reported (2)

From the sources on each dive site's page. Sightings are never guaranteed.

  • Cayo Icacos · Fajardo & La Cordillera“staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) in the shallow zones” (DRNA)
  • Playa Los Tubos · San Juan & North Coast“Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis (listed corals)” (DRNA)

Sources

  1. Staghorn Coral · NOAA Fisheries (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. Ley para la Protección, Conservación y Manejo de los Arrecifes de Coral en Puerto Rico (Ley Núm. 147-1999), Art. 3 and 10, OGP compilation rev. 15 abril 2024 · Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto, Gobierno de Puerto Rico (accessed 2026-10-22)

Last checked 2026-10-22