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Montipora Capricornus
Montipora Capricornus
Other Names: plate coral, shelf coral
Origin: Indo-Pacific, Australia, Red Sea
Description:
Montipora is a plating species of small polyp stony (SPS) corals. Montipora's corallites (the basic skeletal unit of a stony coral that contains the polyps) are tiny. This makes them distinct from all other corals except Porites. The corallites have almost microscopic inward-projecting septa (plural of septum, a thin skeletal plate in stony corals that protrudes from the corallite wall inward, toward the center where the polyps reside). The polyps themselves are tiny, uniform and fuzzy which gives Montipora one of it's common names, velvet coral. Their skeletons are lightweight and porous.
Lighting Requirements:
Montipora Capricornus prefers intense lighting of metal halide or T5 lighting, but may show growth in low lighting conditions.
Flow Requirements:
Prefers high flow and it's growth patterns will change depending on the flow it receives. More intense flow usually results in greater spiraling and shelving.
Growth:
Montipora Capricornus is reknown for it's fast growth and may the fastest growing small polpyed stony coral in the hobby.
Difficulty:
Easy - Intermediate
Rarity:
Common
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