Green finger coral, Montipora digitata

(Phylum Cnidaria, Class Anthozoa, Order Scleractinia. See Overview of Cnidarian Diversity)

Montipora digitata exists in several color forms. This beautiful green variety is a particularly fast grower. Colonies of this coral growing close to other corals need to be pruned every few months to keep the M. digitata from overtopping its neighbors.

 

This small polyped stony coral has densely packed polyps that give the surface of the colony a velvety appearance. The skeleton of this coral is very brittle, and fragments break off readily. As is the case with most small-polyped stony coral species, if fragments land and stay stationary in suitable locations, on a hard substrate with adequate light and water flow, they will grow onto the substrate and firmly attach in a matter of weeks. In faster growing species such as this, subsequent colony development is rapid.

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