montipora, I think? (id)

Hermie · Oct 13, 2019

Hi, I got this "frag" last week, it was called a montipora digitata by the owner. Do you think it's a monitpora digitata? The branches from the mother colony weren't as "round" as the digitata colonies I've seen. The tank it came from was not doing so hot, overrun with vermetid+aiptasia and generally neglected.

Also, when it grows, I know there's damage to the bottom (where it was held/cut), how do SPS grow... I've mainly only had LPS where they expand their tissue greatly and build skeleton under, but I am guessing SPS have to build their skeletons much closer to where their tissue expands, so I don't know... I can just be patient and watch this one recover/grow and find out...

Hermie · Oct 13, 2019

I guess it looks kind of bleached now that I took a photo... it does have some coloration. Never had a bleached coral before, polyps being extended is a good sign... ?

KrisReef · Oct 13, 2019

Yes, it looks like a finger monti. The colors are washed out but if your tank is healthy it probably will recover and grow fairly quickly once it is settled into its new home.

Was it bleached like this when you got it, or is it losing its color in your tank? It might want to be under lower light? These monti seem to like more nutrients in the water so if your LPS are growing it will probably do fine also.

As far a growth, the finger corals will grow up and down making a wider base and new and thicker branches as it goes.

Hermie · Oct 13, 2019

KrisReef said:
Yes, it looks like a finger monti. The colors are washed out but if your tank is healthy it probably will recover and grow fairly quickly once it is settled into its new home.

Was it bleached like this when you got it, or is it losing its color in your tank? It might want to be under lower light? These monti seem to like more nutrients in the water so if your LPS are growing it will probably do fine also.

As far a growth, the finger corals will grow up and down making a wider base and new and thicker branches as it goes.

Thanks Kris. It was bleached yes, (I got it for free); in fact the owner also gave me a chunk of bleached montipora skeleton at the time (after examining the skeleton I refused to put it in my tank, there was gsp all over it, fireworms (not bristle), and the tank had an aiptasia infestation.)

It was from a tank tear down, so I now assume the monti/finger coral I got was also bleaching out. I thought it was just a cool color... actually it might turn out to be when it recovers.

I'm going to consider moving it back down to the substrate now that you mention it, but my tank is pretty low light as it is. Do you think I should just go ahead and move it back down regardless ? IE: very low light is better than medium light for a bleached coral.

mtraylor · Oct 14, 2019

Looks like an orange digitata that needs some tlc

Hermie · Oct 31, 2019

well good news so far,

there is a tiny bit of color coming back into the polyp edges
diatoms are growing on the bottom of the coral, so that means there is live tissue above (the good thing)

Hermie · Oct 31, 2019

the camera settings are slightly different but the lighting is the same, (2 weeks of recovery)

C. Eymann · Oct 31, 2019

Looks like its getting its color back nicely.

I think you may have Montipora saramensis or M. altsepta as yours has more immersed corallites and some ridges.

Hermie · Oct 31, 2019

C. Eymann said:
Looks like its getting its color back nicely.

I think you may have Montipora saramensis or M. altsepta as yours has more immersed corallites and some ridges.

Thanks for the info! I was not sure either that it was digitata given those ridges, now I have some more research to do

Graffiti Spot · Nov 1, 2019

Sure it’s not an anacropora? The ridges are throwing me off but it could be from it being in the other persons tank.

C. Eymann · Nov 1, 2019

Pedoconfuego said:
Sure it’s not an anacropora? The ridges are throwing me off but it could be from it being in the other persons tank.

I considered anacropora, but its polyps are usually much further apart/less densely occurring than OPs. Probably shouldnt be ruled out though.

Graffiti Spot · Nov 1, 2019

Yea I thought the same thing. I am no good at is with Montipora at all so I will leave this to you. If it is a monti it’s one I don’t see much at ALL.

C. Eymann · Nov 1, 2019

Pedoconfuego said:
Yea I thought the same thing. I am no good at is with Montipora at all so I will leave this to you. If it is a monti it’s one I don’t see much at ALL.

Anytime I give IDs its purely spectaculation/ taking an "slightly" educated guess, there are no letters in front of my name and sometimes I'm completely off. That's why other opinions, other brains and sets of eyes are invaluable and lead to more accurate IDs

Im guessing OPs coral is a slightly bleached Forest fire "digi" aka M. samarensis.

But again, that is merely a guess, not conclusive.

Hermie · Nov 1, 2019

The colony it came from was very encrusting (kind of "dripping" on the rock it came from) which is why I wouldn't assume anacropora, but I have only looked at a few species of anacropora before.