Pore Coral

About

Pore coral (Montipora hispida) is one of those species that keeps you guessing. The same coral can look completely different depending on where it grows. In turbid, lower-clarity water it tends to develop thin plates or finger-like digitate branches, while on reef slopes you're more likely to find it forming chunky submassive or columnar structures. That kind of growth plasticity is part of what makes it interesting, and also what makes identification tricky. The surface texture is noticeably rough and coarse, with corallites that can be either flush with the coenosteum or raised with distinct projecting walls, and shorter papillae scattered across the surrounding tissue. Coloration runs toward pale brown, occasionally showing white tips on branches and white tentacles when extended. In the wild it spans a wide range across the Indo-Pacific, from shallow reef flats down to about 40 meters, and it tolerates turbid conditions better than many Montipora species. In the aquarium, though, it demands serious water flow and intense lighting to stay healthy, and it's generally considered a coral for keepers who already have a handle on maintaining stable, mature reef systems. Beginners should probably get comfortable with more forgiving Montipora species before taking this one on.