Corals of Hawai'i
Family Acroporidae
Montipora
General Description: calices separated by open space; papillate projections
cover colony.
| Montipora flabellata-
blue rice coral |
 |
| Growth form: small, encrusting with irregular lobes; blue to
turquoise color. |
| Fine structure: papillae smaller, sometimes fused to form ridges;
calices with elevated collars. |
| Habitat: shallow water in exposed and protected areas. |
|
|
| Montipora patula - ringed
rice coral |
 |
|
| Growth form: small, encrusting; chocolate-brown with light borders.
|
| Fine structure: papillae small, forming rings around calyx. |
| Habitat: reef flats. |
|
| Montipora verrucosa - rice
coral |
 |
| Growth form: highly variable, encrusting and plate-like (shallow
water) or branching (deep); dark-chocolate with white borders to beige or white. |
| Fine structure: papillae large, randomly distributed, absent from
underside of free margins. |
| Habitat: common in all reef environments, 0-50 m. |
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