Pavona clavus Care Guide
Pavona clavus is a hardy columnar stony coral that forms knobby pillars and large stands on Indo-Pacific reefs, kept as an intermediate-level SPS.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pavona clavus is a colonial stony coral of the family Agariciidae, described by Dana in 1846. It typically forms columnar or club-shaped colonies of smooth, uniform columns up to about 20 cm tall and 3-5 cm in diameter, and may also form flattened plates. Colonies range from 10 cm to over 10 m across and can build single-species stands. The corallites are circular, 2.5-3.5 mm in diameter, with thick well-defined walls. Colour is cream, yellow, brown or pale grey.
Taxonomy
- Family: Agariciidae
- Order: Scleractinia
- Genus: Pavona
- Scientific name: Pavona clavus
- Authority: Dana, 1846
Habitat
The species is distributed widely across the Indo-Pacific, the South China Sea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, extending to the eastern Pacific. It is found at depths of 2-40 m in protected or semi-protected habitats, often on slopes in current-exposed areas, and is absent from shallow, high-energy reef platforms. Its skeletal growth rate in the wild is about 0.9-1.3 cm per year.
Reef parameters
- Type: SPS (small-polyp stony) coral, columnar growth
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.025-1.026
- Alkalinity (KH): 7.5-9 dKH
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Lighting: 200-300 PAR (medium-high)
- Flow: medium-high
Feeding
Pavona clavus is a zooxanthellate, reef-building coral that obtains its energy primarily from the photosynthesis of its symbiotic algae. In the aquarium it is treated as photosynthetic; stable lighting and calcification chemistry (calcium, alkalinity, magnesium) drive skeletal growth. Amino acid dosing can support colour but is optional.
Compatibility
The coral is passive toward neighbours and is reef-safe with fish and shrimp. As with other SPS species it does best in a mature, stable system and benefits from consistent flow to keep its surfaces clear of detritus.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. The species is also listed on CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade in stony corals.
Pavona clavus Propagation Guide
Overview
Pavona clavus is a colonial stony coral in the family Agariciidae that grows as knobby vertical columns. The genus Pavona ranges across massive, columnar, leaf-like and plate-like forms, and clavus sits at the heavier, columnar end. It is zooxanthellate and largely autotrophic, drawing nutrition from symbiotic algae, with polyps that extend at night.
Reproductive Mode
Pavona reproduce sexually by releasing gametes into the sea, where fertilisation produces a planula larva that settles and buds into a new colony. The genus also spreads asexually: a broken fragment wedged in a suitable position continues to grow and bud. For a heavy columnar species like clavus, the asexual route is the practical one in captivity.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Because clavus forms solid columns rather than thin plates, propagate it by cutting a chunk or column section from the colony. Mount the piece on a rock or plug: dry the base and the surface, apply cyanoacrylate glue, press it into place, and return it to gentle flow to cure. The cut tissue then heals and the frag slowly encrusts and re-establishes columnar growth.
Conditions for Propagation
A clavus frag needs stable reef chemistry, moderate to high light, and steady flow over the cut surface. As a largely autotrophic coral, it depends mainly on strong lighting for energy during recovery; feeding is secondary. Patience matters because the columns thicken slowly.
Common Challenges
The large cut face of a columnar frag is slow to heal and can attract algae before the tissue closes over it. Keep good flow on the wound, monitor for recession, and allow plenty of time before the frag visibly grows.