In a new open access paper in Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies, Nomura et al. (2024) redescribe Montipora angulata (Lamarck, 1816) through reference to the type material and field specimens from Japan, and revisit the taxonomic status of morphologically similar species through comparison of the type material. Due to the poor taxonomic resolution of current molecular markers in the Genus Montipora, in particular, the inability to resolve species with fundamentally different morphology and ecology, this study uses morphology alone and therefore the decisions will need to be revisited when molecular markers with sufficient resolution become available. 

Other taxonomic actions in the paper include; 

• Montipora rigida Verrill, 1866, M. contorta Nemenzo & Montecillo, 1981 and M. porites Veron, 2000 are designated as junior synonyms of M. angulata (Lamarck, 1816)
• Montipora ramosa Bernard, 1897, M. libera Bernard, 1897, M. rotunda Bernard, 1897, M. cocosensis Vaughan, 1918 and M. fossae Crossland, 1952, all considered junior synonyms of M. angulata by Veron and Wallace (1984), are recognised as valid species and formally removed from synonym.

The paper is open access and can be viewed here.