Montipora is the forgiving end of SPS — the coral that will tolerate parameter movement that would kill an acropora, which makes it the right first step out of soft corals and LPS. No axial corallite at the branch tips, and the polyps are tiny and densely packed, giving the surface a fine fuzzy texture rather than the knobbly one an acro carries. That texture difference is the identification.
It grows in three forms sold under separate names: plating (capricornis), encrusting, and branching (digitata). All three are the same genus with the same needs — pick by the shape you want in the aquascape, not by care difficulty.
Care at a glance
| Light (PAR) | 150–300 |
|---|---|
| Flow | Moderate to strong |
| Placement | Middle to upper rock |
| Feeding | Optional |
| Aggression | Low |
| Difficulty | Intermediate — the right first SPS |
A montipora that browns out is usually sitting in nutrient-rich water under too little light; one that pales is getting more light than it has pigment for. Move it in steps, not leaps — a plating colony reads light changes across its whole surface and will show you a bleach line within days if you overshoot.
Montipora in stock now
Grown in our Key West raceways and photographed individually — the photo is the exact piece that ships.
22 in stock right now
Purple Montipora Digitata$19.99View this coral →
Mystic Sunset Montipora Frag (Montipora sp.)$19.99View this coral →
Emerald Forest Montipora$29.99View this coral →
Red Chili Pepper Montipora$30.99View this coral →
Red Montipora Capricornis$34.99View this coral →
Mystic Joker Monitpora$34.99View this coral →
Neon Green Montipora Digitata Aqua-Cultured$39.99View this coral →
Neon Green Montipora Spongodes$49.99View this coral →
Tropicana Montipora Palawanensis Frag – Gold & Neon Green$49.99Only 1 availableView this coral →
Tropic Thunder Montipora Palawanensis Frag – Tangerine Orange$49.99Only 1 availableView this coral →
Midnight Dynamite Montipora$59.99View this coral →
Jedi Mind Trick Montipora$59.99View this coral →
Rainbow Montipora$59.99View this coral →
Orange Setosa Montipora – Frag$69.00View this coral →
Manilla Spy Branching Monti$69.99View this coral →
Red Orange Montipora$69.99View this coral →
Starry Night Montipora$69.99View this coral →
Love Shack Montipora$79.99View this coral →
Kung Pao Montipora$79.99View this coral →
Green Branching Montipora$79.99View this coral →
TUG Aqua Cultured Nuclear Fusion Grafted Montipora (3/4" – 1")$89.99View this coral →
Beach Bum Montipora$99.99View this coral →One thing to know before you order: shipping and packing are charged by the box, not by the coral. A box holds several corals for the same $15 packing fee and the same overnight ride, Florida orders under 6 lb ship overnight for a flat $30, and livestock orders over $399 ship free. If this page puts one coral on your list, it is worth seeing what else belongs in the box — start with corals under $100 or the newest WYSIWYG pieces.
Our stony corals are either aquacultured at the shop in Key West under Florida Aquaculture Certificate #AQ0254072 or conditioned in our Key West systems before they ship, and the photo on a WYSIWYG listing is the exact animal that ships. Corals ship UPS Overnight every Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are ever in Key West, come see the raceways.