monti cap?

A montipora cap will grow up and out towards the light

 

My monti caps are growing more or less flat, and 2 of the frags have a little part growing down, I assume to make a lower shelf? I read that there are quite a few different ways a monti cap can grow and there is one rare one that can grow in all sorts of ways, encrusting, plating, fingers, and random shapes. Are thy all completely different coral? I don't remember where I read about them, probably a site selling them.

 

Montiporas are a genus of coral. Capricornis is a species within montipora. This is why species names are kinda important. Montipora capricornis (monti cap) grows out into this. Montipora digitata grows out like this. Encrusting montiporas just grow over the rock they're on, like this. There's quite a few different species that grow in each fashion, and some that grow differently than those. For a bit more info, here's a link.

Usually, monti caps don't grow downwards. It might not be a cap, but rather another species.

 

ya, it's defiantly a monti cap, and I think it time they may end up more like that because I think it's just working on a lower shelf, but mine grow very flat to others I've seen. I'm thinking it might be responding to my lights because I gave a frag the the lfs and it's growing up very fast under their mh, but I'm a little confused because I have t5s and I would think it would grow up toward the light when there is less light and grow out flat when there is less light??