Montipora aequituberculata

[javatech]

this is the frag i got from reefer madness (Montipora aequituberculata)
the question i have is what are the holes on the tips is something living in there or is it just the way it grows

 

[Kurt448]

looks like regular barnacles...are there little very light colored fans that come out and sweep stuff from the water column?

 

[javatech]

nothing comes out that i can see but as it grows they don't close up
i know some corals have small crabs or something like it that live in them

 

[Kurt448]

well...from the pictures it is hard to tell what it is...there is definitely something living in the ends...I imagine some sort of filter feeder. Specific types comonly grow with the growth of the coral and stay at the tips. In the past I have found that using a bit of superglue right on the tips will cover the hole and prevent the creature from coming out. The monti should encrust right over the glue within a week or two, if not too much glue is used. Regardless, i wouldn't be too worried about it. Nice looking piece by the way.

 

[javatech]

Thanks i like it too
not worried just trying to see if anyone had the same thing
so far what ever it is it's not hurting it ...Yet
thanks for the info
jim

 

[john37]

i thought this was the montipora aquituberculata

 

[john37]

go to limited editions, then montipora, and it's on the list. the green one.

 

[javatech]

That is what RM sold it to me as but they also said it might be a Rainbow Montipora
so far it has no red on it yet

 

[GorillaReefer]

That looks like the one I'm trying to get an I.D. on.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=834957

 

[javatech]

That sure does look the same as mine
now if the polyps turn orange/red on leading growth edge they might be a Rainbow Montipora

 

[Csxno1]

It is definatelly NOT Monti aequituberculata. You have something closer to Nodosa or maybe even mollis. Monti. aequituberculata is very similar to capricornis except it has more of a rough surface.

 

[javatech]

I looked at the others but i think it looks like a Rainbow Montipora but so far with out the red

 

[ReeferMadnessUS]

Not to get in some sort of pointless battle but I beg to differ about the M. aequituberculata being just a scrolling Montipora. It can actually encrust, as well. When I ID something I look at the growth form, if the corallites are immersed, how large the papillae (tuberculae) are in comparison to others (in mm). I have looked at all the monti's and this seems to be the closest one. M. mollis is super smooth with very tiny polyps and no papillae. M. nodosa has larger polyps but has nodules all over it. From what I can see Gorillas' and Javatechs' Montipora (which is coincedentally our Photo- no problem anyone can use it as long as they aren't trying to sell the coral) are exactly the same thing which is in my opinion M. aequituberculata.

I hope this helps you all out. Montipora's are in my opinion even more difficult to ID than alot of Acropora.

Have a great Sunday,

Chris @ RM

Oh and Kurt is exactly right as those are little barnacles that live along with the Montipora. They grow along with each other to create the "horns".

 

[ClownReef®]

Well, just my .2 cents on the "what are the holes on the tips?". My montipora has 1 (see picture-- upper right corner..its a bit hard to see the hole..). Sometimes a little sweeper comes out, sometimes it doesnt..

 

[GorillaReefer]

Don't want to burst your bubble ReeferMadness, but that is MY PHOTO. I don't steal people's photos for identification.
Can't read this but it doesn't look like aequituberculata
http://www.recif-france.com/Database/376.htm

 

[ReeferMadnessUS]

Dear Gorilla,

Maybe you are misreading the post that I made. The photo that Javatech posted is the photo from our website. Sorry if you misunderstood, I meant no harm and it doesn't matter to me one way or another when someone uses our photos, unless (like I stated above) someone uses it sell the coral or frags of that coral.

Check this link for clarification.

http://www.reefermadness.us/RMDF-M_aequituberculata.htm

I hope your colony does well, it seems to be very happy.

Chris @ RM

 

[javatech]

Thanks for the info
i guess i should have said i got a frag of this not i got a frag. that indeed is the photo from the RM website
so i guess they do no harm or do they help it in any way
thanks

 

[yardboy]

I've had several experiences where tubeworms of different sorts would occupy space on an sps and the coral would begin to grow around it. This Porites (my ID) had grown in a boulder structure since it settled on a piece of liverock. After a tubeworm developed on it, you can see a column has formed. The worm has kept up with the growth of the coral so far.

 

[Stephany]

This TOTM's Gary has itty bitty crabs in one of his montipora. Very cool.

 

[ReeferMadnessUS]

Dear Yardboy,

I actually believe that your "Porites" is something much rarer than that. It is actually a Psammocora profundacella. Very cool, I have only seen one other that has come through my doors.

Click on this link to see another species of Psammocora (to see the similarities- like really fuzzy polyps, valley shaped corallites).

http://www.reefermadness.us/RMD04280055.htm

They are super hardy and don't require much lighting. I hope this one continues to do well for you.

Chris @ RM