Acropora ID - Millepora?

chipchipbro · Jan 11, 2023

hey guys

im not sure if this could be a possible A. Millepora.

Any ideas?

sculpin01 · Jan 11, 2023

chipchipbro · Jan 11, 2023

well, the seller said its more of a tabling species of millepora.. I mean never heard that before but he must know it because he had the mothercolony.

sculpin01 · Jan 11, 2023

Acropora millepora have a range of growth types with bushy, tabling, and branchy/almost stag-like variants. In 10 years we will likely come to realize that these different growth forms actually represent different species, but for now they are all milleporas.

xclusive252 · Jan 11, 2023

looks amazing

encrustingacro · Jan 13, 2023

sculpin01 said:
Acropora millepora have a range of growth types with bushy, tabling, and branchy/almost stag-like variants. In 10 years we will likely come to realize that these different growth forms actually represent different species, but for now they are all milleporas.

Actually, A. millepora really only has a corymbose growth form in the wild. The different growth forms in captivity are not different species, but because of various different factors, such as lower flow than what they usually experience, or no constant stream of food.

sculpin01 · Jan 13, 2023

encrustingacro said:
Actually, A. millepora really only has a corymbose growth form in the wild. The different growth forms in captivity are not different species, but because of various different factors, such as lower flow than what they usually experience, or no constant stream of food.

That is Veron’s description but his pictures don’t necessarily match that. And the lumping of the prostrata growth form into millepora suggests to me that this is a species complex rather than a monotype.

For instance, clearly corymbose:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/media/images/0047_C04_01.jpg

Much more tabling version of corymbose:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/media/images/0047_C04_04.jpg

encrustingacro · Jan 13, 2023

sculpin01 said:
That is Veron’s description but his pictures don’t necessarily match that. And the lumping of the prostrata growth form into millepora suggests to me that this is a species complex rather than a monotype.

For instance, clearly corymbose:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/media/images/0047_C04_01.jpg

Much more tabling version of corymbose:

http://www.coralsoftheworld.org/media/images/0047_C04_04.jpg

Both look pretty corymbose to me. The reason why the first looks less tabling is probably due to factors such as flow, or because the second colony is larger. Additionally, you don't really see aberrant milleporas in the wild like you would see in captivity.
I wouldn't come to the conclusion that A. millepora is a species complex so quickly, as corals can have a lot of phenotypic variation. Only molecular data can tell if milleporas are a species complex.

sculpin01 · Jan 13, 2023

encrustingacro said:
Both look pretty corymbose to me. The reason why the first looks less tabling is probably due to factors such as flow, or because the second colony is larger. Additionally, you don't really see aberrant milleporas in the wild like you would see in captivity.
I wouldn't come to the conclusion that A. millepora is a species complex so quickly, as corals can have a lot of phenotypic variation. Only molecular data can tell if milleporas are a species complex.

Right, and so far molecular data has shown more cryptic species than were expected. I know the Project Phoenix group is working on this currently but it is slow going.