Montipora digitata Care Guide
Montipora digitata is a fast-growing, beginner-friendly Indo-Pacific SPS coral with branching finger-like colonies in green, purple or orange.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Montipora digitata is a small-polyp stony (SPS) coral in the family Acroporidae, native to shallow waters of the Indo-West Pacific. Colonies are digitate or bushy, formed of vertically aligned finger-like branches that can exceed 40 cm across. The species is regarded as one of the hardiest entry-level SPS corals and is listed by the IUCN as Endangered.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acroporidae
- Genus: Montipora
- Scientific name: Montipora digitata
- Common names: Montipora Digitata, Finger Monti, Digi
- Growth form: branching / digitate
Habitat
Inhabits shallow Indo-West Pacific reefs across East Africa, Kenya, Mozambique and the Pacific to Rodriguez, where it forms mounds on reef flats and lagoon margins. It is a zooxanthellate species and a simultaneous hermaphrodite, releasing egg-sperm packets in synchronized annual spawning events.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank maturity: 3 months
- Temperature: 24-26 C (75-79 F)
- Salinity: 1.025-1.026 SG
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Alkalinity: 7.5-9 dKH
- Calcium: 420-450 ppm
- Magnesium: 1300-1400 ppm
- Phosphate max: 0.05 ppm
- Nitrate max: 10 ppm
- Lighting: 150-250 PAR (medium-high)
- Flow: medium-high and turbulent
Placement
Place in the mid-to-upper reef where lighting reaches 150-250 PAR and water movement is turbulent. The colony does not sting neighbouring corals but grows quickly (up to 1.5 cm per month per branch under good conditions), so leave room for expansion.
Feeding
Almost entirely photosynthetic: symbiotic zooxanthellae can supply up to roughly 90% of the coral's energy demands. Direct prey capture is minor; periodic dosing of amino acids supports tissue density and coloration. Spot feeding is not generally required.
Propagating Hawaiian Sunset Montipora digitata
Overview
Hawaiian Sunset is an aquarium color morph of Montipora digitata, a branching coral in the family Acroporidae. According to Wikipedia, the species grows as digitate or bushy mounds of vertically aligned, anastomosing branches reaching over 40 centimetres across, with small, deeply embedded corallites. The morph denotes coloration only and is propagated exactly like the base species.
Reproductive Mode
M. digitata is a simultaneous hermaphrodite that spawns annually, releasing gamete packets that float upward for cross-fertilisation among colonies. As a zooxanthellate coral, its symbiotic dinoflagellates supply up to 90 percent of its energy, with planktonic prey making up the difference. In aquaria the Hawaiian Sunset morph is maintained through fragmentation, not spawning.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
Propagation follows standard digitate technique: a finger branch is snapped or clipped from the parent and glued to a plug or rock, then grown under medium-high light and flow to form a fresh bushy colony. Keeping intact growing tips on the cuttings helps the orange branches and blue polyps of the morph color up as the frag matures.
- Clip a 2-4 cm finger branch with a clean growing tip.
- Glue it upright onto a plug with reef-safe adhesive.
- Provide stable medium-high light and water movement.
- Allow the base to encrust before moving the frag.
Common Challenges
The Montipora-eating nudibranch poses the same danger to this morph as to any Montipora. Phestilla subodiosus feeds specifically on the genus and causes significant losses in aquacultured stock. Because its eggs hide in branch crevices, fragments that look clean can still carry the pest into a tank.
Propagating Montipora digitata
Overview
Montipora digitata is a branching coral of the family Acroporidae with a digitate or bushy form built from vertically aligned, anastomosing branches. According to Wikipedia, colonies form hemispherical mounds reaching over 40 centimetres in diameter, with small, deeply embedded corallites that give a pitted surface, and they are typically pale cream, yellow, or brown. The species occurs in shallow water across East Africa and the Indo-West Pacific.
Reproductive Mode
M. digitata is a simultaneous hermaphrodite that spawns annually. Packets of eggs and sperm are released into the water column and rise to the surface, where cross-fertilisation occurs as gamete packets from different colonies intermix. It is a zooxanthellate species whose photosynthetic symbionts can supply up to 90 percent of its energy, supplemented by captured plankton.
Fragging / Asexual Propagation
The branching habit makes M. digitata one of the simplest Montipora to multiply: individual finger branches are snapped or cut from the colony and mounted to a plug or rock. Each fragment regrows into a new bushy colony of anastomosing branches under medium-high light and flow. No cutting saw is required for thin fingers, though sharp bone cutters give cleaner breaks.
- Snap or clip a finger branch 2-4 cm long from the parent colony.
- Mount the branch upright on a plug with reef-safe adhesive.
- Position under medium-high light and water movement.
- Allow the base to encrust and new branches to form.
Common Challenges
The Montipora-eating nudibranch is the chief hazard. An undescribed Phestilla species is reported to feed on the genus, and the described pest Phestilla subodiosus preys specifically on Montipora; it has caused significant commercial harm now that the genus is intensively aquacultured and maricultured. Eggs hidden in branch crevices make complete removal difficult.