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Montipora

{{Short description|Genus of corals}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Montipora aequituberculata.jpg

| image_caption = Montipora aequituberculata

| taxon = Montipora

| authority = Blainville, 1830{{WRMS |203834| Montipora Blainville, 1830}}{{ITIS |id=52948 |taxon=Montipora}}

| synonyms_ref =

| synonyms = * Manopora Dana, 1846

}}

Montipora is a genus of Scleractinian corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of the genus Montipora may exhibit many different growth morphologies. With eighty five known species, Montipora is the second most species rich coral genus after Acropora.{{cite journal|last1=van Oppen|first1=Madeleine J.H.|author-link=Madeleine van Oppen|date=2004|title=Mode of zooxanthella transmission does not affect zooxanthella diversity in acroporid corals|journal=Marine Biology|volume=144|issue=1 |pages=1–7|doi=10.1007/s00227-003-1187-4|bibcode=2004MarBi.144....1V |s2cid=86657478 }}

Description

File:Montipora coral, Arthur Bay, Magnetic Island, January 2016.jpg]]

Growth morphologies for the genus Montipora include submassive, laminar, foliaceous, encrusting, and branching.{{cite journal|last1=Van Oppen|first1=M.J.H|last2=Koolmees|first2=E.M.|last3=J.E.N|first3=Veron|title=Patterns of evolution in the scleractinian coral genus Montipora (Acrroporidae)|journal=Marine Biology|date=2004|volume=144|issue=1 |pages=9–18|doi=10.1007/s00227-003-1188-3|bibcode=2004MarBi.144....9V |s2cid=85602339 }}{{cite book|last1=Veron|first1=J.E.N|title=Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific|date=1986|publisher=Angus & Robertson Publishers|location=London|pages=92–121}} It is not uncommon for a single Montipora colony to display more than one growth morphology. Healthy Montipora corals can be a variety of colors, including orange, brown, pink, green, blue, purple, yellow, grey, or tan. Although they are typically uniform in color, some species, such as Montipora spumosa or Montipora verrucosa, may display a mottled appearance.

Montipora corals have the smallest corallites of any coral family. Columellae are not present. Coenosteum and corallite walls are porous, which can result in elaborate structures. The coenosteum of each Montipora species is different, making it useful for identification. Polyps are typically only extended at night.

Montipora corals are commonly mistaken for members of the genus Porites based on their visual similarities, however, Porites can be distinguished from Montipora by examining the structure of the corallites.

Distribution

Montipora corals are common on reefs and lagoons of the Red Sea, the western Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean, but are entirely absent in the Atlantic Ocean.

Ecology

Montipora corals are hermaphroditic broadcast spawners.{{cite book|last1=Richmond|first1=Robert|title=Reproduction and Recruitment in Corals|date=1997|pages=175–197}} Spawning typically happens in spring. The eggs of Montipora corals already contain zooxanthellae, so none is obtained from the environment.{{cite journal|last1=Fukami|first1=Hironobu|last2=Omari|first2=Makoto|last3=Hatta|first3=Masayuki|title=Phylogenetic relationships in the coral family Acroporidae, reassessed by inference from mitochondrial genes|journal=Zoological Science|date=2000|volume=17|issue=5|pages=689–696|doi=10.2108/zsj.17.689|pmid=18517306|doi-access=free}} This process is known as direct or vertical transmission.

Montipora corals are preyed upon by corallivorous fish, such as butterflyfish.{{cite journal|last1=Berumen|first1=Michael|last2=Pratchett|first2=Morgan S.|title=Recovery without resilience: persistent disturbance and long-term shifts in the structure of fish and coral communities at Tiahura reef, Moorea|journal=Coral Reefs|date=2006|volume=25|issue=4|pages=647–653|doi=10.1007/s00338-006-0145-2|s2cid=34270212 }} Montipora corals are known to host endo- and ectoparasites such as Allopodion mirum and Xarifia extensa. A currently undescribed species of nudibranch in the genus Phestilla has also been reported in the scientific and aquarium hobbyist literature to feed on the genus.{{cite journal |last1=Fritts-Penniman |first1=Allison Louise |title=Ecological Speciation and Cryptic Diversity of Coral-Associated Nudibranchs |journal=UCLA |date=2016 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3z1643wq#author |access-date=21 June 2019}}

Montipora corals are susceptible to the same stresses as other Scleractinian corals, such as anthropogenic pollution, sediment, algal growth, and other competitive organisms.

Evolutionary history

A 2007 study found that the genus Montipora formed a strongly supported clade with Anacropora, making it the genus with the closest genetic relationship to Montipora.{{cite journal|last1=Wallace|first1=C.C|display-authors=etal|title=Recognition of separate genera within Acropora based on new morphological, reproductive, and genetic evidence from Acropora togianensis, and elevation of the subgenus Isopora Studer, 1878 to genus (Scleractinia: Astrocoeniidae; Acroporidae)|journal=Coral Reefs|date=2007|volume=26|issue=2|pages=231–239|doi=10.1007/s00338-007-0203-4|s2cid=25263905 |url=http://ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw//handle/246246/174370 }} It is thought that Anacropora evolved from Montipora relatively recently.

Gallery

File:Leaf plate montipora.gk.jpg|Montipora capricornis

File:Montipora aequituberculata, coralitos.jpeg|Polyps of Montipora aequituberculata

File:Montipora aequituberculata, Ningaloo.jpg|Montipora aequituberculata colonies near Ningaloo Reef

File:Montipora caliculata.jpg|Montipora caliculata

File:Montipora capitata, Kailua.jpg|Branching colony of Montipora capitata in Hawaii

File:Montipora capitata, Samoa Americana 2.jpg|Encrusting colony of Montipora capitata

File:Montipora danae, pólipos.jpeg|Polyps of Montipora danae

File:Montipora ehrenbergii.jpg|Montipora ehrenbergii

File:Montipora grisea.jpg|Montipora grisea

File:Montipora hispida, Lizard I..jpeg|Montipora hispida

File:Montipora hispida, pólipos.jpeg|Polyps of Montipora hispida

File:Montipora monasteriata, pólipos.jpeg|Polyps of Montipora monasteriata

File:Montipora nodosa.jpg|Montipora nodosa

File:Montipora tuberculosa Réunion 2.jpg|Montipora tuberculosa

File:Montiporaverrucosa.jpg|Montipora verrucosa at Birch Aquarium in San Diego, CA

Species

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References

{{Commons|Montipora}}

{{Wikispecies|Montipora}}

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Category:Acroporidae

Category:Coral reefs

Category:Scleractinia genera