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Montipora digitata (finger coral)

Montipora digitata

Also known as Digitata, Finger Montipora, Velvet Finger Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Montipora digitata (finger coral) (Montipora digitata)
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Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Very common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acroporidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs, widely maricultured; hardy aquacultured strains are common in the trade

Overview

Sessile and passive, with no sweeper tentacles, so it is a peaceful tankmate that will not sting neighbors, though it can be stung or shaded by more aggressive corals and needs spacing to branch out. Often recommended as a first SPS because it is more tolerant of slightly higher nutrients and less than perfect parameters than Acropora, but it still wants stable alkalinity and calcium.

In the wild

A branching Montipora that grows upright, thumb-thick fingers rather than plates. It favors bright light, roughly 200 to 300 PAR, and medium to strong flow, and the amount of flow actually shapes the branches, with stronger current producing thicker, curvier growth. Place it in the mid to upper tank where it gets both strong light and good water movement. A healthy colony shows pale, actively extending growth tips.

Good to know

Montipora digitata is a zooxanthellate branching SPS coral in the family Acroporidae with very small polyps. It is one of the faster growing Montipora, adding roughly 8 to 10 cm of branch length per year in a stable tank, and it frags extremely easily since snapped or cut branches quickly reattach and regrow.

Did you know

Because branches thicken in response to current, keepers can partly steer the shape of a digitata colony by where they aim the flow, and a single small frag can fill in a bushy thicket within a year or two.

Common questions

What size tank does a Montipora digitata (finger coral) need?

A Montipora digitata (finger coral) needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Montipora digitata (finger coral) need?

A Montipora digitata (finger coral) is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a Montipora digitata (finger coral) get?

An adult Montipora digitata (finger coral) reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Related species