Montipora
Montipora is a genus of Scleractinian corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of the genus Montipora may exhibit many different growth morphologies. With eighty five known species, Montipora is the second most species rich coral genus after Acropora.
Description
Growth morphologies for the genus Montipora include submassive, laminar, foliaceous, encrusting, and branching. It is not uncommon for a single Montipora colony to display more than one growth morphology. Healthy Montipora corals can be a variety of colors, including orange, brown, pink, green, blue, purple, yellow, grey, or tan. Although they are typically uniform in color, some species, such as Montipora spumosa or Montipora verrucosa, may display a mottled appearance.
Montipora corals have the smallest corallites of any coral family. Columellae are not present. Coenosteum and corallite walls are porous, which can result in elaborate structures. The coenosteum of each Montipora species is different, making it useful for identification. Polyps are typically only extended at night.
Montipora corals are commonly mistaken for members of the genus Porites based on their visual similarities, however, Porites can be distinguished from Montipora by examining the structure of the corallites.
Distribution
Montipora corals are common on reefs and lagoons of the Red Sea, the western Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean, but are entirely absent in the Atlantic Ocean.
Ecology
Montipora corals are hermaphroditic broadcast spawners. Spawning typically happens in spring. The eggs of Montipora corals already contain zooxanthellae, so none is obtained from the environment. This process is known as direct or vertical transmission.
Montipora corals are preyed upon by corallivorous fish, such as butterflyfish. Montipora corals are known to host endo- and ectoparasites such as Allopodion mirum and Xarifia extensa. A currently undescribed species of nudibranch in the genus Phestilla has also been reported in the scientific and aquarium hobbyist literature to feed on the genus.
Montipora corals are susceptible to the same stresses as other Scleractinian corals, such as anthropogenic pollution, sediment, algal growth, and other competitive organisms.
A 2007 study found that the genus Montipora formed a strongly supported clade with Anacropora, making it the genus with the closest genetic relationship to Montipora. It is thought that Anacropora evolved from Montipora relatively recently.
Species
Montipora aequituberculata Bernard, 1897Montipora altasepta Nemenzo, 1967Montipora angulata Lamarck, 1816Montipora aspergillus Veron, DeVantier & Turak, 2000Montipora australiensis Bernard, 1897Montipora biformis Nemenzo, 1988Montipora cactus Bernard, 1897Montipora calcarea Bernard, 1897Montipora calculata Dana, 1846Montipora capitata Dana, 1846Montipora capricornis Veron, 1985Montipora cebuensis Nemenzo, 1976Montipora circumvallata Ehrenberg, 1834Montipora cocosensis Vaughan, 1918Montipora confusa Nemenzo, 1967Montipora conspicua Nemenzo, 1979Montipora contorta Nemenzo & Montecillo, 1981Montipora corbettensis Veron & Wallace, 1984Montipora crassituberculata Bernard, 1897Montipora cryptus Veron, 2000Montipora danae Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851Montipora delicatula Veron, 2000Montipora digitata Dana, 1846Montipora dilatata Studer, 1901Montipora echinata Veron, DeVantier & Turak, 2000Montipora edwardsi Bernard, 1897Montipora efflorescens Bernard, 1897Montipora effusa Dana, 1846Montipora ehrenbergi Verrill, 1872Montipora explanata Brüggemann, 1879Montipora flabellata Studer, 1901Montipora florida Nemenzo, 1967Montipora floweri Wells, 1954Montipora foliosa Pallas, 1766Montipora foveolata Dana, 1846Montipora friabilis Bernard, 1897Montipora gaimardi Bernard, 1897Montipora gracilis Klunzinger, 1879Montipora grisea Bernard, 1897Montipora hemispherica Veron, 2000Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967Montipora hispida Dana, 1846Montipora hodgsoni Veron, 2000Montipora hoffmeisteri Wells, 1954Montipora incrassata Dana, 1846Montipora informis Bernard, 1897Montipora kellyi Veron, 2000Montipora lobulata Bernard, 1897Montipora mactanensis Nemenzo, 1979Montipora malampaya Nemenzo, 1967Montipora maldivensis Pillai & Scheer, 1976Montipora manauliensis Pillai, 1967Montipora meandrina Ehrenberg, 1834Montipora millepora Crossland, 1952Montipora mollis Bernard, 1897Montipora monasteriata Forskåi, 1775Montipora niugini Veron, 2000Montipora nodosa Dana, 1846Montipora orientalis Nemenzo, 1967Montipora pachytuberculata Veron, DeVantier & TurakMontipora palawanensis Veron, 2000Montipora patula Verrill, 1870Montipora peltiformis Bernard, 1897Montipora porites Veron, 2000Montipora samarensis Nemenzo, 1967Montipora saudii Veron, DeVantier & TurakMontipora setosa Nemenzo, 1976Montipora sinuosa Pillai & Scheer, 1976Montipora spongiosa Ehrenberg, 1834Montipora spongodes Bernard, 1897Montipora spumosa Lamarck, 1816Montipora stellata Bernard, 1897Montipora stilosa Montipora suvadivae Pillai & Scheer, 1976Montipora taiwanensis Veron, 2000Montipora tortuosa Dana, 1846Montipora tuberculosa Lamarck, 1816Montipora turgescens Bernard, 1897Montipora turtlensis Veron & Wallace, 1984Montipora undata Bernard, 1897Montipora venosa Ehrenberg, 1834Montipora verrilli Vaughan, 1907Montipora verrucosa Lamarck, 1816Montipora verruculosa Veron, 2000Montipora vietnamensis Veron, 2000