Montipora grisea | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Hexacorallia |
Order: | Scleractinia |
Family: | Acroporidae |
Genus: | Montipora |
Species: | M. grisea |
Binomial name | |
Montipora grisea Bernard, 1897 | |
Montipora grisea is a small polyped stony coral in the family Acroporidae.
It is an encrusting species considered to be massively sized, with "thick unifacial plates." [2] It is usually dark brown or green in color, but also appears in shades of blue or pink. [2] These corals have small bumps, known as thecal papillae, that are fused together around the corallite. [3] They also have a coenosteum papillae that is present. [3]
Montipora grisea has a vast range, found within the reefs of forty-five countries and territories throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans. It exists at depths of 3 to 20 meters, with a preference for "shallow, tropical reef environments on upper reef slopes." [4]
Despite being considered a common species with a presently large population, Montipora grisea faces an array of threats. [4] It is moderately susceptible to bleaching, though notably less so than Acropora corals. [4] Other threats include predation from the crown-of-thorns starfish, harvesting for the aquarium trade, climate change and ocean acidification. [4]
These corals can be hermaphroditic or gonochoric. [5] Their zygote produces planktonic planula larvae. [6] Metamorphosis takes place early before larval settlement occurs on the opposite side of the mouth. [6]
Montipora is a genus of Scleractinian corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of the genus Montipora may exhibit many different growth morphologies. With eighty five known species, Montipora is the second most species rich coral genus after Acropora.
Homophyllia bowerbanki is a vulnerable species of coral found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This species is moderately common, but it is threatened by crown-of-thorns starfish predation and habitat loss.
Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek "akron" meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the tip of each branch of coral. They are commonly known as staghorn corals and are grown in aquaria by reef hobbyists.
Montipora digitata, also known as finger coral, is a species of stony coral. It is found in shallow water in East Africa, the Indo-West Pacific, Kenya, Mozambique and Rodriguez.
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.
Stylophora pistillata, commonly known as hood coral or smooth cauliflower coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and is commonly used in scientific investigations.
Acropora millepora is a species of branching stony coral native to the western Indo-Pacific where it is found in shallow water from the east coast of Africa to the coasts of Japan and Australia.
Acropora abrotanoides is a species of acroporid coral found in Indo-Pacific waters from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden east to the East China Sea, Japan, the central Pacific Ocean and Australia. It is found in shallow coral reefs that are exposed to the action of strong waves, at depths up to 15 m. It is vulnerable to coral bleaching, disease and crown-of-thorns starfish. It is resistant to predation as it has well-developed radial corallite lips.
Acropora aculeus is a species of acroporid corals found throughout the Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan and the East China Sea. It is also present in the western Pacific Ocean. It is an uncommon species and is particularly prone to coral bleaching, disease, and crown-of-thorns starfish predation; it is also harvested for use in aquaria, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being a "vulnerable species". Habitat loss is a big concern.
Acropora robusta is a species of acroporid coral found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west and central Pacific Ocean. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs, mainly along margins that are exposed to the action of strong waves, and can be found at depths from 1 to 8 metres. It was described by Dana in 1846.
Alveopora fenestrata is a species of stony coral that is found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It can be found in shallow coral reefs, to a depth of 30 metres (100 ft). It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching.
Alveopora spongiosa is a species of stony coral that is found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west and central Pacific Ocean. It can be found on protected upper coral reef slopes, generally from depth of 9–20 m, but can grow at depths of up to 50 m. It is moderately susceptible to coral bleaching, and is harvested for the aquarium trade.
Alveopora verrilliana is a species of stony coral that is found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea, the oceanic west and central Pacific Ocean and the Johnston Atoll. It can also be found in Palau and the southern Mariana Islands. It grows on shallow coral reefs to a depth of 30 metres (100 ft). It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching and is harvested for the aquarium trade.
Montipora aequituberculata is a species of stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It is a common coral in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific region.
Favites pentagona is a species of stony coral in the family Merulinidae, sometimes known as larger star coral. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and its range extends from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific Ocean. This is a common species throughout its wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Favites abdita, also known as the larger star coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and its range extends from East Africa and the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific Ocean. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "near-threatened".
Acropora batunai is a species of acroporid coral that was described by Carden Wallace in 1997. Found in protected, shallow reefs, it occurs in a marine environment at depths of up to 44 m (144 ft). The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population, and is extremely fragile. It can be found over a large area but, overall, is not common.
Acropora donei is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by J. Veron and Carden Wallace in 1984. Found in fringing reefs and the upper slopes of shallow reefs, it occurs at depths of 5 to 20 m. The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population, and is affected by disease. It is not common but found over a large area, and is listed under CITES Appendix II.
Blastomussa merleti, commonly known as pineapple coral, is a species of large polyp stony coral. It is unclear in which family the genus Blastomussa belongs. This coral is native to the west and central Indo-Pacific region and is sometimes used in reef aquaria.
The Coral reefs of the Solomon Islands consists of six major islands and over 986 smaller islands, in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. The Solomon Islands lie between latitudes 5° and 13°S, and longitudes 155° and 169°E. The distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is about 1,500 km (930 mi). The Santa Cruz Islands are situated north of Vanuatu and are especially isolated at more than 200 km (120 mi) from the other islands. The Solomon Islands has the 22nd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,589,477 km2 (613,701 sq mi) of the Pacific Ocean.