Montipora undata ?

[DJChesnutRabbit]

Today I did some trading with a fellow reefer and I got a piece of LE Idaho grape.
I looked at the piece and thought I have something that looks like that already.
I'm not by any means thinking that this is Idaho grape, but do you think it's an undata ?
From the side

From the top w/ actinics

From the top w/ flash

I noticed on the AIMS site it pretty much fits the description perfectly. What do you guys think ?

 

[carman9941]

yup

 

[Kolognekoral]

I'm not so sure. I recently recategorized my M. undata to M. monasteriata, and mine looks extremely similar to yours. The main difference between the two is the polyp size. M. ubdata has very small polyps, while those of M. monasteriata are about twice the size. Check out this thread. I've posted pictures. Let me know what you think. The same?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1315976

 

[DJChesnutRabbit]

Interesting.
Looking at the pics of your M. Monasteriata just confirms my suspicions even more. My polyps are no where near the size of yours. Mine are similar in size to a M. Danae, but I have several of that species and I'm confident it's not a Danae. What convinces me it's not a Danae is on the AIMS site it mentions, 'coralites are crowded between the verrucae,' where with my piece they are more sparse.
What I did forget in my original post is that the size of this piece is approx 5 x 5 inches.

 

[Kolognekoral]

M. danae has very large tuberculae, about 3-5 mm, M. undata has more fused tuberculae of half this size and extremely small corallites which look scattered, rather than placed. M monasteriata has a similar surface to M. undata, but the corallites are twice the size and touch each other when they are fully expanded, which you would not see in M. undata. M. monasteriata tends to form coenosteum ridges along its edge, which later grow out to small tuberculae, while M. undata has a very smooth edge coenosteum.

I think you can rule out M. danae and its relatives as being too coarse. I still tend to M. monasteriata due to the ridges at your colonies edges and the corallite size, which I think is much like mine. Remember, my frag is very small, half so large as your colony and the shot is a close-up. Look at the mother colony, the proportions are a bit more in line. This is always the problems with fotos; we loose the scale! The tuberculae on my corals are only 2mm or so, the polyps a bit smaller.

What ever the case, it is a great coral, IMO, and should get more attention. Everyone runs after Superman and Sunset Montis, then they miss some subtle beauties like these two! Of course, if we name it Monti Kryptonite, it will find a market. Hmmm. Pity we can't trade frags!

 

[DJChesnutRabbit]

I see where you coming from, and think you may be correct and I agree completely with your last paragraph. Kryponite or anything catchy and it's out the door.
I got this piece as a little 1/2 inch frag that looked pale pink with blue polyps and the color morph and growth has been amazing. I've had this specimen less than a year and is one of my favorites.
It is a crying shame we can trade overseas. It would be interesting to see these two side by side.
Thanks so much for your insight.

 

[naldopr]

it look like a purple cap with blue polyp mine in the same as yours

 

[acrohead500ppm]

looks like M. hodgsoni