Pore Coral

About

Pore coral (Montipora spongodes) is one of the more architecturally interesting members of a genus that already has plenty going on. Colonies start as encrusting or plating bases and then develop upward-projecting ridges that gradually build into distinct columns, giving mature specimens a layered, almost terraced look that sets them apart from the flatter Montipora species most hobbyists encounter first. The corallites are widely spaced and sit flush with the surface rather than projecting outward, and verrucae often develop along the lower portions of older colonies. Coloration is generally muted, dark brown, olive green, or grey, so this is not a coral you keep for fluorescent pop. In the wild it turns up across a broad Indo-Pacific range, showing a preference for higher-latitude reefs and rocky intertidal or subtidal zones where light is intense and water movement is strong. That natural habitat tells you most of what you need to know about keeping it: this coral wants serious light and vigorous flow, and it belongs in the hands of a hobbyist who already has a stable, well-established system dialed in. For the right reef tank it can be a genuinely interesting structural piece, but beginners should build their Montipora experience with more forgiving members of the genus first.