Do corals recover their skeletons?

[Wellsoman22]

When lips corals get damaged, their skeleton shows where they've lost some flesh. So do they ever recover this flesh? What kind of care can help them recover this exposed skeleton?

 

[Reef Bass]

Yes, the flesh can grow and recover exposed skeleton. However, what tends to happen more frequently is algae grows on the exposed skeleton before the coral grows back over it.

 

[usingthejohn]

Yes, the flesh can grow and recover exposed skeleton. However, what tends to happen more frequently is algae grows on the exposed skeleton before the coral grows back over it.

If algae grows over the skeleton first, is that a bad thing for coral? I.e. the algae compete or hinder the coral growth and/or recovery?

 

[Reef Bass]

In my experience, algae on the skeleton tends to retard or slow flesh growing back over that spot. Depending on what caused the exposure, a healthy coral can recover the area. A coral which is receding because of health or water quality issues isn't going to be growing much and as such will be slower or even less likely to recover that area at all.

 

[Wellsoman22]

So basically just all around good care should encourage regrowth?