Montipora cocosensis
Vaughan, 1918
Description: Colonies are submassive, encrusting, laminar or columnar. Corallites are large, crowded and immersed. They have no papillae. Coenosteum ridges may form around the corallites. The coenosteum is very coarse; this can be seen underwater. Septa are prominent; this can also be seen underwater.
Color: Brown.
Habitat: Shallow reef environments and lagoons.
Abundance: Rare.
Similar Species: Montipora spumosa, which has a distinctive growth-form. See also M. calcarea, which has less conspicuous corallites.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic reference: Veron and Wallace (1984, as Montipora sp. 4).
Surface of a massive colony, showing corallite structure. Flores, Indonesia Photograph: Charlie Veron
Surface of a massive colony, showing corallite structure. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron
Surface of a massive colony, showing corallite structure. Sinai Peninsula, Egypt Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Drawing: Geoff Kelly
Surface of a massive colony, showing corallite structure. Vanuatu Photograph: Charlie Veron