Hawkins Echinata
A variant of Acropora coral (Acropora sp.)
Representative Acropora coralphoto — a dedicated image of this exact morph isn't available yet.
A blue-and-green bottlebrush Acropora long sold as an 'echinata,' with delicate axial growth and bright bluish corallites.
📜 Backstory
An ORA aquacultured strain named after Robert Hawkins, an ORA facility manager who acquired the coral from Germany in 2006. ORA labeled it *Acropora echinata*, but hobbyists and Reef2Reef discussion note it is widely confused with — and is more likely — *Acropora turaki*; DNA-barcoding studies confirm such trade misIDs are common.
Keeper tips for this variant
Under lower light the blue and green intensify; under high light it grows faster but turns more monochrome, so dial light to taste with strong flow.
Other SPS Corals variants
Staghorn / Table Acropora (growth forms)Named designer acros (e.g. ORA, Tyree, WWC morphs)Green Slimer (Acropora yongei)Tricolor / Tricolor Valida (Acropora valida)Pink/Purple Stylophora-tip 'Strawberry Shortcake' (Acropora microclados)Walt Disney (Acropora tenuis)Red Planet (Acropora millepora)Bali/German 'Slimer' & Staghorn forms (Acropora formosa/muricata)Garf Bonsai (Acropora sp.)Strawberry Shortcake (SSC) AcroporaOregon Tort (Oregon Blue Tortuosa)Rainbow TenuisRed Dragon AcroporaPink Lemonade AcroporaCali Tort (California Blue Tortuosa)Tierra del Fuego (TDF) AcroporaPikachu AcroporaJason Fox Homewrecker / Miyagi TortPink Cadillac AcroporaWalt DisneyStrawberry ShortcakeWWC Red ShortcakeOregon TortJason Fox HomewreckerTyree Pink LemonadeJackson's Rainbow TenuisRed PlanetMiyagi TortGARF BonsaiORA PearlberryCotton Candy TenuisVivid's Bali ShortcakeJF Fox FlameCC Pink Highlighter Tenuis