Capricorn montipora
Montipora capricornis
Montipora capricornis forms massive or encrusting colonies, often as horizontal plates or upright twisted horns. The polyps are very small (less than 1 mm) and retractile, giving a velvety texture. Coloration ranges from green, brown, pink to purple, often with lighter edges. Corallites are immersed in the coenosteum with indistinct walls. There is no obvious sexual dimorphism, but reproduction is both sexual and asexual via fragmentation.
Recommended parameters
| Parameter | Recommended range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 24–28 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 |
| KH | 8–12 |
| Salinity | 1.023–1.025 |
| NO₃ | ≤ 5 |
| PO₄ | ≤ 0.03 |
Care
Care notes
A tank of at least 100 liters is recommended, with intense lighting (LED or metal halide) and moderate to strong flow. Parameters must be stable: temperature 24-28°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.023-1.025, calcium >400 mg/L, magnesium >1300 mg/L, KH 8-12 dKH. Nitrates should stay below 5 mg/L and phosphates below 0.03 mg/L. It feeds mainly through photosynthesis, but supplementation with phytoplankton or liquid coral food is beneficial. Beware of polyp stings when handling, and avoid placing it too close to aggressive corals.