is this a digitata or porites??

[cateyes]

what do you guys think this is? i bought it as a digitata but i have been told since it might be a porites.. it has been a VERY slow grower...

thanks,, Lisa

 

[dragonforce]

digitata for sure.

 

[PL-Reef]

digitata.

 

[cateyes]

thanks for the ID... Lisa

 

[antonsemrad]

How can you tell? What difference does it make if its one or the other?

Nice coral

 

[kevinpo]

Two things will readily identify Porites cylindrica and P. porites. It has a very particular smell when handled and it is very hard. M. digitata breaks very easily. Branching type Porites usually has much thicker branches than M. digitata.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[kevinpo]

Here's a picture of both corals. The orange colony is Montipora digitata and the Porites is the green coral on the lower right. The colony growing on the column is M. digitata too.

HTH,
Kevin

 

[antonsemrad]

Kevinpo, so which is it in the original pic?

Would the care be any different?

VERY nice reef you have there! Good looking fish too!

Wasn't that a TOTM a while back?

You make me jealous.

 

[kevinpo]

It is very difficult to tell when the coral is so small but if I had to guess it would be M. digitata. Care is identical. Porites is generally one of the hardiest SPS corals I can think of off hand. The encrusting varieties often survive on liverock.

Thank you for your kind words.

Yes I think it was 2004. The picture above was taken about one year later.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[RCS]

I may be wrong, but I don't recall ever seeing a branching Porites with growth tips like you see on most Acropora/Montipora. I figured that was a dead giveaway in that photo. I haven't dealt with Porites though (maybe a couple encrusting hitchhikers along the way), so it may just be something I've never seen.