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Montipora

Blainville, 1830

Type Species

Montipora verrucosa (Lamarck, 1816) p. 271; Subsequent Designation Milne Edwards and Haime, 1850

Type Specimen: Lectotype; MNHN 261g; Verified; Dry Preserved

Type Locality: Tonga

The lectotype was designated on p. 59 of Veron, J.E.N. and Wallace, C.C. 1984 Scleractinia of Eastern Australia. Part V. Family Acroporidae.Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series 6, pp. 485: ANU Press, Canberra. This designation followed the recommendation on p. 104 of Bernard, H. M. 1897 The genus Montipora. The genus Anacropora. Catalogue of Madreporarian corals in the British Museum (Natural History) 3: 1-192, plates 1-34 .

Classification

Diagnosis

Acroporidae which are submassive, foliaceous, ramose or encrusting; no axial corallite; corallite wall porous; columella feeble or absent; coenosteum reticular with strong vertical trabeculae, thin horizontal connections; surface spinulose or hirsute; no diseppiments

Description

This genus is distinctive within the Acroporidae because of the variety of coenosteal ornamentations developed (variously known as papillae, tuberculae, ridges, nodules, etc) and the way in which these are combined and distributed around and between corallites in different species. Although corallites are immersed within the coenosteum, the arrangement of coenosteal structures (usually papillae or tuberculae) around corallites in some species gives the impression of a theca. Some species are without coenosteal ornatmentation ("glabrous") and these are distinguished by corallite size, colony form and other associated diferences. Colonies of Montipora are usually indeterminate in growth and individual species and colonies within species can exhibit some or all of the range of growth forms.

Comparisons

Anacropora fits within the above description: it is exclusively ramose and without coenosteal ornamentation. Molecular studies indicate the two genera should be combined (see Fukami, H., Omori, M. and Hatta, M. (2000) Phylogenetic relationships in the coral family Acroporidae, reassessed by inference from the mitochondrial genes. Zoological Sciences 17, 689-696).

Remarks

Monographed by Bernard, H. M. 1897 The genus Montipora. The genus Anacropora. Catalogue of Madreporarian corals in the British Museum (Natural History) 3: 1-192, plates 1-34. Monographed from eastern Australia by Veron, J.E.N. and Wallace, C.C. 1984 Scleractinia of Eastern Australia. Part V. Family Acroporidae.Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series 6, pp. 485: ANU Press, Canberra.

This page has been in preparation since 02-Jun-2007 12:36

This version was contributed by Carden Wallace on 06-Apr-2010 04:59.

Page authors are: Carden Wallace. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.

The editor is: Ann Budd


Montipora verrocusa on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
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Montipora verrucosa SEm showing corallite and surrounding coenosteum
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Montipora verrucosa SEM of corallites and coenosteal papilla
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