Staghorn corals  (Acropora spp.)

Asexual reproduction: Reproduction that does not involve the formation of sex cells, such as sperm and eggs. Asexual reproduction only involves one parent, and all the offspring produced by asexual reproduction are identical to one another.
Colony: Relating to corals: a coral composed of numerous genetically identical individuals (also referred to as zooids or polyps), which are produced by budding and remain physiologically connected.
Hermatypic: Reef-building corals. Most hermatypic corals have a close association with algae known as zooxanthellae, which live in their tissues. These corals are restricted to shallow, tropical, marine environments. Over time the accumulated deposition of calcium carbonate (limestone) by many hermatypic corals can form large limestone structures known as coral reefs.
Larvae: Relating to corals: the stages of development before settlement on the reef. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.
Photosynthesis: Metabolic process characteristic of plants in which carbon dioxide is broken down, using energy from sunlight absorbed by the green pigment chlorophyll. Organic compounds are produced and oxygen is given off as a by-product.
Polyp: Typically sedentary soft-bodied component of Cnidaria (corals, sea pens etc), which comprise of a trunk that is fixed at the base; the mouth is placed at the opposite end of the trunk, and is surrounded by tentacles.
Sexual reproduction: A form of reproduction that involves fertilization of a female cell or egg, by a male sperm. It usually involves two parents, one of either sex, but in some species individuals are hermaphrodite (possess both male and female sex organs).
Zooplankton: Floating or weakly swimming animals, many of them microscopic, that drift with water currents, particularly near the surface of the sea.

1. CITES (June, 2007)
   http://www.cites.org
   
2. Veron, J.E.N. (1986) Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Angus & Robertson Publishers, UK.
   
3. Acropora Biological Review Team. (2005) Atlantic Acropora Status Review Document. Report to National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office.
   
4. NOAA Fisheries (July, 2007)
   http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/staghorncoral.htm
   
5. Wilkinson, C. (2004) Status of Coral Reefs of the World. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.
   
6. Green, E.P. and Hendry, H. (1999) Is CITES an effective tool for monitoring trade in corals?. Coral Reefs, 18: 403 - 407.