Is this a weird M. digitata?
- Thread starter Bela N
- Start date
klepto
New member
No. The first image is not M. digitata. It is another species of Montipora though.
The closest looking Montipora that I could find is M. vietnamensis. Dig around on the database and see if you can find anything closer.
http://sdmas.com/corals/742.php
The closest looking Montipora that I could find is M. vietnamensis. Dig around on the database and see if you can find anything closer.
http://sdmas.com/corals/742.php
klepto
New member
It's spelled spongodes.
I'm not seeing the same coenosteum ridge development with the coral in question as either M. spongodes or M. confusa. I think M. spongodes is more likely out of the two because there are clearly no "flame shaped" coenosteum ridges on the OP's frag like Veron describes for M. confusa. Even so, Veron notes that the coenosteum of M. spongodes has "no elaborations". Perhaps I am misinterpreting, but there clearly seems to be a well developed coenosteum present with the fragment in need of identification.
malac0da13
Member
Green one I would definitely call a spongode not sure about the other one. My digitata comes to more points at the tips. Maybe a setosa? But it seems to have a lot more polyps then the setosa I have seen.
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Bela N
New member
Sorry for crappy phone photos. In pic02 the colony is at the back in the centre.
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ColaAddict
In Memoriam
That first one is so cool, I want one. Could it be the Forest Fire dig? The 2nd one looks like a setosa.
Bela N
New member
Are you saying the orange one is not a digitata but possibly a setosa?
nemokeeper
In Memoriam
Orange one is definitely a digitata... 1st one i would say is a spongodes...
jc-reef
New member
I agree. I have both in my tank and look very similar. The photo of the spongodes seems to have it polyps retracted a bit; although your skeleton seems a bit more rigid. Very cool coral!!!
Here is mine when I first got it (small frag)....with the polyps fully out.
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Bela N
New member
Jason if I understand correctly you are implying that confusa grows down a plug but spongodes does not, is that true?
Thanks, very useful I am learning lots!!!
Bela
klepto
New member
:worried: Shouldn't we stick with one coral? It sounds like you are assuming that jc-reef's monti is the same as the bela's. To me they look pretty different. The coenosteum ridges are smooth with jc-reef's coral (which would coincide with M. spongodes) and Bela's uknown monti CLEARLY has strong ridge development.
malac0da13
Member
The shape of the branches don't look like my digitata and look more like the small setosa I have but setosa don't have nearly that many polyps. The branches of my digitata come to points more and not squared like yours. I am se one guessing the spongode though after seeing the whole colony. It definitely looks more like a confusa now. Unless it just has an unusual growth pattern for some reason.
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gon08
New member
Frick
AZ FRAG President
Usually from the colonies I have seen, and pics I have seen in books. I have had spongodes and it always grew in a bowl with branches. My Confusa will grow along the lowest point of the rockwork.
I think I looked at jc's pic by accident, but my reason for saying Confusa is that both montis will have strong ridges. Spongodes is a little wider. When Spongodes grows out it plates staight out and up. When Confusa plates it goes downward. Spongodes tips/branches usually look like slime dripping upside-down. Confusa is more irregular and can even grow back down into itself.
klepto
New member
Veron's pictures don't show any ridges for M. spongodes, but many corals in the hobby that are labeled as such have coenosteum ridges. Montipora fragments will display varied morphology in captivity like so many other corals. Maybe this is just another example of how different environments and genetics effect morphology.
We are trying to identify a coral based on a picture of a small frag. I don't think colony growth form has much relevance here. Trying to identify a frag this size based on how it encrusts (upward, downward etc) is not reliable in my opinion. With small Montipora frags I think judging by traits that can be observed on a finite level, such as; corallite structure, coenosteum ridge height and spacing, and verrucae is the better route.
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Bela N
New member
Full Colony at LFS
Full Colony at LFS
Pic 01 shows the 2 parent colonies at the LFS, both colonies have poor colour (hard to believe it is the same coral). Pic 02 shows details of the branching one on the right & pic 03 shows the more plating one on the left. Do these help wit ID?
Full Colony at LFS
Pic 01 shows the 2 parent colonies at the LFS, both colonies have poor colour (hard to believe it is the same coral). Pic 02 shows details of the branching one on the right & pic 03 shows the more plating one on the left. Do these help wit ID?
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klepto
New member
Yes they are helpful. I agree, the colours look near nonexistent compared to your pieces.. and for that reason photographing the mother colonies will be difficult. Even on my aged monitor they appear overexposed.
Try to shorten your exposure so that we can see more contrast and detail.
Rest your hands against the tank, keeping the lens parallel to the glass so that a sharper image can be captured.
It's hard to keep understand your "pic 2", "the one on the left" description.
Are these correctly paired?
I believe this coral is either M. digitata or M. samarensis.
This one, I believe is M. vietnamensis. We need to see more detail of the coenosteum ridges on the mother colony to be sure.
Veron's image for M. vietnamensis looks very similar to the mother colony at your LFS. His colony description also fits; "encrusting or laminar base, with closely compacted short upright branches"
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