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This will be a page to document the ID process of genus Montipora
I will describe the corals as best i can with pictures and ultimately will be using the Coral ID cd from JEN Veron and Mary Stafford-Smith (through University of Queensland, Australia) Orange plating Montipora:


Frag cut with a dremel:

Retracted polyps under 10x magnification:

Bleached frag:

Coenosteum (some like this, around the corallites, are tufts and raised lines)

Corallite showing the 12 septa in 2 cycles, unequal lenghts in corn rows:

Point by point on CD:
Location: Indo-Pacific
Growth Form: solid plates and foliose
Branching: absent
Calice or valley width: <1mm
Corallite definition: centers distinct
Wall seperation: corallites seperate
Corallite isolation: corallites seperate individuals
Corallite differentiation: neither axial/nor central
Corallite or valley protrusion: immersed (some seem only partiall immersed where plate is angled a bit)
Tentacle length: <10mm
Skeletal masking: partial
Daytime tissue projection: <1mm
Columella:
Septo-costae:
Septal lenght: unequal
Cycles of Septa: 2 cycles
Septal Height: not exert
Septal Fusion: not fused
Septal Margin:
Septal Dentition: forms corn rows a
Septo-Costae petaloid: not petaloid r
Paliform Structures: absent
Extra-Thecal Skeleton: present
Extra-Thecal surface: perforated
Extra-Thecal Elaborations: present
Linear Elaborations: >Calice diameter
Non-Linear Elaborations: Corallite Spacing: ?widely spaced

possible matches: Montipora foliosa Green plating Montipora Colony :
Frag:
Retracted polyp under 10x mag.:







Location: Indo-Pacific
Growth Form: solid plates and foliose
Branching: absent
Calice or valley width: <1mm
Corallite definition: centers distinct
Wall seperation: corallites seperate
Corallite isolation: corallites seperate individuals
Corallite differentiation: neither axial/nor central
Corallite or valley protrusion: immersed (some seem only partiall immersed where plate is angled a bit)
Tentacle length: <10mm
Skeletal masking: partial
Daytime tissue projection: <1mm
Columella: absent only choice to keep monti, but i think i may see a horizontal area where 3rd layer of septa join in center
Septo-costae: costae absent
Septal lenght: unequal
Cycles of Septa: 2 cycles
Septal Height: not exert
Septal Fusion: not fused down to 52 taxa
Septal Margin: seems smooth to me but Veron states this is rare and only seen with hand lens...my eyes aren't that good, but under 10x, septa appear as small spikes (see earlier pics) but am answering not smooth edged for next feature
Septal Dentition: forms corn rows -down to 45 taxa
Septo-Costae petaloid: not petaloid - does not narrow down further
Paliform Structures: absent - does not narrow down
Extra-Thecal Skeleton: present - does not narrow down
Extra-Thecal surface: perforated
Extra-Thecal Elaborations: present
Linear Elaborations: >Calice diameter - 18 taxa remaining
Non-Linear Elaborations: >Calice diameter 14 taxa
When I look at options to select from here - get corallite spacing, and it is either crowded or fairly crowded and leaves with same two taxa:

Montipora confusa
Montipora mactanensis-choosing this one by appearance from slides...

This page updated last on December 12, 2006.

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