Do corals regrow their skeletons?

[lowlands]

When lips corals suffer damage, their skeleton becomes visible in areas where they've lost tissue. Do they ever regenerate this tissue? What type of care can aid in recovering the exposed skeleton?

[sweetie_22]

Yes, the flesh can indeed grow back and cover exposed skeleton. Coral recovery often hinges on preventing algae from taking hold, as it tends to outcompete the coral for space and resources. When algae grows on the exposed skeleton before the coral can regrow, it can hinder the recovery process.

[sweetie_22]

In my experience, algae growth on the skeleton can hinder the recovery process, slowing down the flesh's regrowth over the exposed area. If the exposure was due to a minor issue, a healthy coral should be able to recover the area. However, if the coral is struggling with health or water quality issues, its growth will be severely impacted, making it less likely to recover the damaged area, or at the very least, significantly slowing down the process.

[lowlands]

So, good care overall would likely promote regrowth, right?