sps ID please

[cuz]

Originally Posted by reefermadness

It's either a monti or some type of LPS...is it fleshy to the touch? It definately is not an acro.

It's not fleshy it's definately stoney. And yes those are polyps poking up.

[ScubaSteve]

Ok, this is a toughy. If there are definite polyps growing at the top of each of the bumps on the top surface and definite polyps growing at the tips of each of the bumps on the growth edge then I'd lean more towards a. efflo (acropora tend to grow from their polyps where as monti's tend to extend their edges or tips without growing from a definte corallite). Here's an acro with a similar growth for but you can see the corallites which the "bumps" grow from (link). There are a few acros that can start growing like what you have, A. solitaryensis is one of them.

If the growth edge is relatively polyp free and the top surface has polyps growing between the bumps (verruculli I think they're called?) then it's definitely a montipora of some sort, though god knows what kind. Could be m. undata, but I don't think it is. Could be a Ly Seng?

I think you might just have to narrow it to which family it's from first.

Do you have an info like where it's from, how long you've had it (how old is it), etc that could help us narrow it down?

[cuz]

It's definately only got polyps on the established area. There isn't any polyps on the outer"growing" area. It does look very similar in style to the undata in the last link.

[Rbacchiega]

I don't think it's an undata..I had one and this one doesn't look like it at all. But having said that...I have no clue what it could be...just know it's not m. undata.

[cuz]

Is it possible that this one and yours are different types of undata?

[Rbacchiega]

I had a tyree true Undata...I'll try and find a picture of it...but the polyp structure/layout doesn't look the same...

poor photo:

[cuz]

Ya, it doesn't look like that at all.

[ScubaSteve]

Well, from what you have said I am positive it's a montipora, however, I'm pretty convinced that's not a m. undata. The two things that give that away are:

- the growth edge: m. undata has a smoother growth edge. Granted this can change depending on flow conditions but it general yours is too "gnarly" to be undata.

-The verrucae are too shallow and the corralites are too even and regular and are not fused into ridges, which is one of the identifying features of undata (and m. danae for that matter, which is commonly confused for undata)

Most of the time when you find picture of m. undata on the net, it's not actually undata... just kinda looks like it or they're really just making their best guess.

Montipora are probably the hardest to ID as there is so much variation not just within the species but with external stresses as well. And, without a geographical location it's almost impossible. You might have to wait for it to grow up a bit and see what it does or just settle with the fact that it's a sexy mystery monti. Or you can send me a frag and I can "take a closer look" .