Source: Wikimedia Commons
Montipora Danae
AdvancedMontipora danae
An encrusting to plating Montipora whose surface is dotted with coarse tubercles. Tubercle and background colour are often sharply separated, and colonies with green corallites on a blue or purple ground are well known.
Difficulty
Advanced
Temperature
24〜27℃
Size
Colonies to several tens of cm
Diet
Mainly nutrition from symbiotic zooxanthellae, supplemented with powdered coral foods and phytoplankton.
About
Montipora danae is a reef-building acroporid of the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. SeaLifeBase gives its depth range as 6-40 m, and it is most common on the deeper part of reef slopes. Colonies encrust and then lift into plates at the margins. Coarse tubercles are scattered across the surface with the corallites arranged around them. Tubercles and background often differ in colour, and the combination of green corallites on a blue or purple ground has long been valued in the aquarium trade. It is zooxanthellate and draws most of its nutrition from photosynthesis. Give it strong light and strong flow, and keep alkalinity and calcium stable. Because it spreads laterally as an encrusting sheet, leave clearance so it does not grow over neighbouring corals on the rockwork. Colour fades readily after abrupt changes in light, so acclimate new colonies over several weeks. The IUCN assessed it as Endangered in 2023, and as a scleractinian it is listed on CITES Appendix II.
Source: SeaLifeBase
Temperature & humidity for the Montipora Danae
The ideal temperature for the Montipora Danae is 24〜27℃.
Basic Info
Origin
Indo-Pacific, tropical to subtropical, on reefs between about 6 and 40 m
Size
Colonies to several tens of cm
Temperature
24〜27℃
Diet
Mainly nutrition from symbiotic zooxanthellae, supplemented with powdered coral foods and phytoplankton.
Care Specifications
- Carbonate (KH)
- 8–12 dKH
- Water Temp.
- 24–27℃
- Specific Gravity
- 1.023–1.025
- Salinity
- 33–35 ppt
- Calcium (Ca)
- 400–450 ppm
- Magnesium (Mg)
- 1280–1350 ppm
SPSPeacefulLight: High (PAR>150)Flow: HighPlacement: Top
Sources: SeaLifeBase (Montipora danae) / LiveAquaria (Smooth Encrusting Montipora Coral) / AlgaeBarn: Water Parameters 101
References & Sources
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Montipora danae Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851
Synonyms: Montipora brueggemanni Bernard, 1897
Authority databases: WoRMS
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
CITES Appendix IIIUCN EN · Endangered
Sources: CITES Appendix II (Scleractinia spp. listed as an order) / IUCN Red List 2025-2 (assessed 2023, via SeaLifeBase)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
Montipora Danae Listings
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