Pavona decussata Care Guide
Pavona decussata is a foliose Indo-Pacific stony coral with leafy plates and small scattered corallites, kept as a hardy intermediate-level SPS.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pavona decussata is a colonial stony coral of the family Agariciidae, described by Dana in 1846. Colonies are submassive, usually with leafy appendages or branches, the leaves being 3-10 mm thick. The corallites are 2-3 mm in diameter, scattered irregularly across both leaf surfaces. Colour varies and may be greenish or a shade of brown, orange or creamy yellow.
Taxonomy
- Family: Agariciidae
- Order: Scleractinia
- Genus: Pavona
- Scientific name: Pavona decussata
- Authority: Dana, 1846
Habitat
Its range extends from East Africa and the Red Sea to Japan, the East China Sea, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia. It occurs in various reef habitats, especially on sloping surfaces in shallow water, at depths down to about 15 m.
Reef parameters
- Type: SPS (small-polyp stony) coral, foliose 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: 150-250 PAR (medium-high)
- Flow: medium-high
Feeding
Pavona decussata is a zooxanthellate coral that derives its energy primarily from the photosynthesis of its symbiotic algae, so it is essentially photosynthetic in the aquarium. Stable lighting, calcium, alkalinity and magnesium support skeletal growth; amino acid supplementation may be used to support coloration but is not required for survival.
Compatibility
The coral is passive and lacks aggressive sweeper tentacles, making it reef-safe alongside fish and shrimp. As with most SPS, it benefits from a mature tank (about three months or older) with stable parameters and should be given space from more aggressive neighbours.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Although currently widespread and common, the species is considered susceptible to coral bleaching and habitat destruction.
Pavona decussata Propagation Guide
Overview
Pavona decussata is a colonial stony coral in the family Agariciidae that grows as vertical, two-sided plates. As with other Pavona, its form can vary with current, wave action, lighting and depth. It is zooxanthellate and largely autotrophic, drawing much of its nutrition from symbiotic algae, with polyps that extend at night.
Reproductive Mode
Like the rest of the genus, Pavona decussata reproduces sexually by releasing gametes into the sea, where fertilisation yields a planula larva that settles and buds into a colony. It can also propagate asexually when a broken fragment becomes wedged in a suitable spot and continues growing and budding into a new colony.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Cut a section of plate from the colony, then mount it on a frag plug or rock. Dry the base of the cutting and the plug so the glue holds, apply a couple of dabs of cyanoacrylate, secure the plate, and return it to low flow until the bond cures. The frag heals along the cut edge and grows outward as new bifacial plates.
Conditions for Propagation
A decussata frag needs stable reef parameters, moderate to high light, and good flow around the plates. Because the species is largely autotrophic, strong lighting is the main driver of recovery, with supplemental feeding playing a secondary role. Frags from healthy plates re-establish reliably.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction through gamete release and planktonic larvae occurs in nature but is impractical in the home aquarium, where the larvae are hard to capture and rear. Hobby propagation therefore relies on cutting and re-attaching plate frags, echoing the genus's natural spread by wedged fragments.