Montipora capitata, commonly known as rice coral or pore coral, is a stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It is a reef building species and is found in tropical parts of the Pacific Ocean.
| Montipora capitata | |
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| Montipora capitata overgrowing Porites compressa | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Acroporidae |
| Genus: | Montipora |
| Species: | M. capitata
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| Binomial name | |
| Montipora capitata | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
editMontipora capitata is an encrusting, colonial coral which develops arborescent forms as it matures. The corallites are tiny and well separated by coenosteum. Their walls and the septa are indistinct. The skeleton is porous and there are small smooth surface projections known as verrucae which give the coral its common name of rice coral. These are irregularly spaced and may be fused near the tips of branches. The colour is normally pale brown with white verrucae.[3][4]
Distribution
editMontipora capitata is found in the tropical north and central Pacific Ocean at depths down to 20 metres (66 ft). It is common in the waters around Hawaii especially where the sea is turbulent.[1]
Ecology
editThe crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), seems to preferentially feed on corals of the genus Montipora. It is a voracious predator and can have devastating effects on slow growing corals.[1]
Threats
editLike other reef corals, Montipora capitata is threatened by habitat destruction. Rising sea temperatures can cause "bleaching" because the symbiotic zooxanthellae are expelled from the coral's tissues, leaving the coral colorless. The bleaching event results in very high coral mortality soon after. Stressed corals are more susceptible to disease. Other threats are posed by El Nino events, ocean acidification which tends to dissolve the coral skeleton, trawling and other fishing activities, pollution and sedimentation.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Montipora capitata IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
- ^ van der Land, Jacob (2010). "Montipora capitata; Dana, 1846". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
- ^ Montipora capitata Corals of the World. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
- ^ Family Acroporidae: Montipora Retrieved 2011-12-21.
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