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II. Corallum essentially ramose with or without coalescence.
7 . Branches fuse to form close-set inverted cone-shaped columns. At the sides of the columns
papillae absent. On the top of the columns papillae squeeze out, prominent ones 2 to 3 mm
thick and high . Calices 0.6 to 0.7 mm ... ... . ......... .. ........ . . . . . M. edwardsi
8. Top of branches flattened . CoraLium short. Papillae form a labellate lower wall to the
corallite. Calices 1 mm in diameter with 12 septa .... . ................ M. spongiosa
9. A crowded cluster of stunted branches. Papillae inconspicuous, but form labellate lower
wall to the corallite. Calices 0.5 to 0.7 mm, about 1 mm apart. The coral looks highly
spinulose under the lens. . . . . . ....... .. . . . . .. . ... .. . .. .... .. ...... M. gracilis
10. Arborescent. Papillae I to 2 mm , conical, either in close approximity to calyx or occupying
the interstices. 2 to 3 of them may often fuse together. . .. ..... M. circumvallata
C. Interstices with flame-like or grain-like frosted tubercles, sometimes in close approximity with calices.
II . Encrusting, surface with close-set gibbosities. Tubercles short, rounded at the top. Calices
0.6 to 0.8 mm , appear as projecting. . . .... . ..... . .... .. . ... .. . ..... . . M. stilosa
12 . Foliaceous, surface with lobulations or a crowded cluster of coalescent branches. Tubercles
often fuse to form low ridges. Calicular rim looks elevated . . . . . . . . .. M. ehrenbergi
A. Foveolate species of Montipora .
Corallum encrusting or submassive, calices surrounded by foveolations.
Porites
Mon tipora
Manopora
Montipora
Montipora venosa (EHRENBERG), 1834
(Plate 9, Figs. 4 . 5)
ve1l0Sll 1834 , EHR ENBERG. 342 (Type locality : Red Su).
ve"osa 1897, BERNARO, 69; pI. 32115 (synonymy).
1906. v. MARENZElLER, 63;pl •. 21 166- 68; 23/66.- 68 •.
1907, BEDOT. 274; pis. 461260- 262; 47/263- 266.
1918. VAUGHAN . 153 ; pI. 6313.
1925. HOFFMEISTER. SO, pI. 612., b.
1952. CROSSLAND, 188 ; pis. 2615; 2715, 2817.
1954. ROSSI. 45.
1971 . LOVA & SLOBODKIN . 123 .
1974, SCHEER & PllLAI, 27; pI. 1114.
1980, HEAD, 148, 446.
colei? 1954 , WELLS, 437 ; pI. 146/ 1. 2.
planiusculD 1846. DANA. 507: pI. 47/ 3. 3a.
1I11!'~c oSQ 1897. KLUN ZINGER 2, 35 ; pls. 5/ 14. 15 ; 6/ 10: t OI7(non LAMARCK).
Corallum encrusting or hillocky. Calices about 1 mm (EC 470) or only 0.7 mm (EC 471), conspicuous,
placed in deep funnel-like depressions formed of coenenchymal foveolations around the well cut-out wall .
Individual papillae almost absent. They almost run together to form low ridges. Septa 12, primaries subequal
fuse together to form a pseudo-columella. Surface of the corallum with gibbosities, rarely with
conical projecting papillae. Surface unter the lens reveals a spiny reticulum.
Material:
Gulf of Suez:
Gulf of Aqaba :
orthern R. S.:
T . Aviv
T . Aviv
Basel
T. Aviv
USNM
HLM
NS
NS
PW
NS
Wa
EC
8384, 8685 (Ras el Kanisa).
1885 , 4976, 4996 (Dahab); 4836 (Ras Atantur).
73 528 ? (Eilat, 6 m).
1876 (Ras Muhammad).
31 (Ghardaqa).
470, 471 ( Ras Abu Suma); 60 (duplicate from KLUNZINGER as
verrucosa) , 148 (Koseir).
Di s t r ib uti o n : Red Sea ; Persian Gulf; Gulf of Mannar; Nicobar Islands; East Indies; Great Barrier
Reef; Marshall Isi s.; Fiji ; Samoa; Cook Isis .
Rem a r k s : BERNARD (1897) opined that the specimens described by KLUNZINGER from Red Sea
under the names M. verrucosa and M. tIIberculosa are the same as M. venosa. However, a closer study of
KL UNZINGER 's duplicate in HLM and of EHRENBERG 's type of venosa (No. 952 ) in Berlin Museum shows