Characters: Colonies are clumps of highly contorted branches which usually have flattened tips. Coenosteum papillae are fused into ridges near branch tips.
Colour: Cream or brown, with white or blue (which may photograph pink) branch tips.
Similar Species: Similar to Montipora stellata which is distinguished underwater by having larger branches, coarser corallites and the presence of basal laminae.
Habitat: Shallow reef environments.
Abundance: Common.
Taxonomic Note: Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967 is pre-occupied by Montipora hirsuta Bernard, 1897 but is also a synonym of Montipora carinata Nemenzo, 1967. Text and images of Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967 in Veron (2000a) have thus been moved to Montipora carinata.
Taxonomic References: Nemenzo (1967); Veron (2000a) as Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967; Veron and Hodgson (1989) as Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967;
Identification Guides: Nishihira and Veron (1995) as Montipora hirsuta Nemenzo, 1967;
