Research Station Carmabi

Coral ID: Montastraea (Orbicella)

Coral Identification for Curacaoan coral species (permanently 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.

For Montastraea (Orbicella) corals (“star corals”) see below
For Agaricid corals (“plating corals”)
For braincorals (well….)
For everything else,

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 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 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)

Different colormorphs of Montastraea cavernosa

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

Sometimes Montastraea cavernosa (right) is mistaken for Dichocoenia stokesi (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 color varieties of Montastraea faveolata colonies arising as colonies recover from bleaching. The colony in the middle has fully recovered, whereas the one on the right has only partly recovered

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)

Montastraea  franksi (bottom) and Montastraea faveolata (top)

Montastraea  franksi (left) and Montastraea faveolata (right)

Montastraea faveolata (left) and Montastraea  franksi (right)

Montastraea franksi (left) and Montastraea  faveolata (right)

Montastraea  franksi (colorvarieties)

Montastraea  franksi (left) and Montastraea faveolata (right)

Montastraea  franksi (left) and Montastraea faveolata (right)

Montastraea  franksi (left) and Montastraea faveolata (right)