Cauliflower Coral

About

Cauliflower Coral (Pocillopora kelleheri) is one of the less commonly discussed members of a genus that punches well above its weight in reef aquariums. In the wild it ranges across a broad sweep of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Philippines and Thailand down through Australian waters and across to the Solomon Islands, where it grows in shallow, wave-exposed reef environments that see plenty of light and constant water movement. Unlike some of its Pocillopora relatives, this species tends to form wide, plate-like colonies with branches that spread in a fairly horizontal, prostrate arrangement rather than mounding into tight clumps. The branching pattern is notably tidy, with evenly spaced verrucae, those small, wart-like surface projections characteristic of the genus, giving colonies a consistent, almost orderly texture. Coloration is typically a muted light brown, with purple or green specimens turning up only rarely. In the aquarium this coral needs genuine high-intensity lighting and strong, consistent flow to mirror the turbulent shallows it calls home. It sits comfortably in the intermediate category. Not a beginner coral, but accessible to reefers who have stable, mature systems and some experience dialing in flow and lighting. Expect a colony that grows outward rather than upward, so plan for some horizontal real estate on the rockwork.