Strawberry Shortcake Acropora Propagation Guide
Fragging and propagation of the 'Strawberry Shortcake' color morph of Acropora millepora, a pink-bodied small-polyp stony coral propagated by branch-tip cuttings under intense light.
Overview
"Strawberry Shortcake" is a sought-after color morph of Acropora millepora, a small-polyp stony coral of the family Acroporidae. Wikipedia describes A. millepora as a small colonial coral growing in clumps of short cylindrical branches, with equal-sized radial corallites bearing projecting lower rims that give a scale-like texture. The morph shows a pink body with bright blue branch tips and contrasting polyps, a selected variant of this naturally variable species.
Reproductive Mode
Like all Acropora, the Strawberry Shortcake morph can be increased asexually by fragmentation in captivity and reproduces sexually in the wild. It is a zooxanthellate coral that harbours symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium) supplying energy by photosynthesis, so cuttings keep the parent coloration. Wikipedia notes captive propagation of Acropora is widespread among reef keepers.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Snap or cut a branch tip of about 2-5 cm with bone-cutters and glue it to a frag plug with cyanoacrylate gel or epoxy. Growth is led by the axial corallite at the branch tip, so an intact tip encrusts and elongates faster. Wikipedia reports finger-sized fragments can reach medicine-ball-sized colonies in one to two years under good reef conditions.
Conditions for Propagation
Wikipedia states Acropora requires bright light, stable temperatures, regular calcium and alkalinity dosing, and clean turbulent water. This morph keeps its pink and blue tones best under high light, so place frags in strong illumination and brisk flow with stable alkalinity, calcium and magnesium and low nutrients.
Sexual Reproduction
In nature Acropora reproduce by an annual synchronised broadcast mass-spawning, releasing buoyant egg-and-sperm packets into the water column for external fertilisation. Home aquaria normally do not reproduce this, relying instead on fragmentation.