Coral ID: Montastraea

CORAL ID: MONTASTRAEA

Coral ID: Montastraea

Coral Identification for Curacaoan coral species (under construction)

This set of pictures aims to show the differences between coral species that are often "mistaken" for one another. Because terminology to describe each species is often subjective (i.e. has larger polyps or smaller ridges) having both species in one picture might help to get a better idea of how such closely related/ similar looking "species" can be distinguished from one another. Be aware that for the purpose of this page, we use the "conversational species concept", which is simply intended to describe the variation that exists in morphological features of Caribbean corals around Curacao.

Montastraea

Different colormorphs of Montastraea cavernosa (also note that the colony on the left has much larger polyps)

Different morphs of Montastraea cavernosa: one with small polyps (left) and one big with large polyps (right)

Different morphs of Montastraea cavernosa: one with large polyps (left) and one with small polyps (right)

Different morphs of Montastraea cavernosa: one opens it polyps during the day (left), the other one at night (right)

Sometimes Montastraea cavernosa (left) is mistaken for the zoanthid Palythoa (right)

Montastraea annularis occurs in various morphs. Colums can be either small and "knobby" (front) or more columnar in shape (back)

Montastraea faveolata occurs in various morphs. Cololonies can be either "dome"like (left) or "pagode"like in shape (right)

Montastraea faveolata occuring in various morphs.

Montastraea faveolata (front) and Montastraea annularis (back)

Montastraea faveolata (large, whitish colonies in center) and Montastraea annularis (columnar colonies on the right)

Montastraea annularis (left) and Montastraea faveolata (right)

Montastraea faveolata colonies become "flatter"under wave exposed conditions

Note the different color varieties of Montastraea faveolata colonies

Note the different morphological varieties of Montastraea faveolata colonies

Montastraea annularis (center) and Montastraea faveolata (around)

Montastraea annularis (front) and Montastraea faveolata (background)

Montastraea faveolata (left) and Montastraea annularis (right)

Montastraea faveolata (left) and Montastraea annularis (right)

Montastraea faveolata (right). The colony on the left has characteristics of both Montastraea annularis (columns) and Montastraea faveolata ("skirts" at the bottom of the colony)