Cauliflower Coral

About

Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora verrucosa) is one of the more recognizable branching corals in the Indo-Pacific, forming compact, bushy colonies covered in irregular bumpy projections called verrucae that give the species its warty, textured look. Colonies typically stay under about half a meter across, with thick upright branches that grow noticeably more dense and sturdy in surge-exposed environments, while the same species in calmer water produces thinner, more open growth. This physical plasticity is one of the more interesting things about it. The coral you see on a wave-battered reef front looks quite different from one growing on a sheltered fringing reef, yet it's the same animal. Coloration runs from cream and brown to pink, and occasionally a soft blue, with bleached skeletons revealing distinctly reddish-brown main branches underneath. In the wild it turns up across a broad depth range, from the shallows right down to around 50 meters, in both exposed and protected reef settings throughout the Indo-Pacific. In the aquarium it earns its intermediate care rating mostly because of its appetite for intense light and vigorous, consistent water movement. Reefers who can deliver those two things reliably will find it a rewarding and visually interesting addition to a mixed reef setup.