Cauliflower Coral, Pocillopora elegans
Cauliflower Coral, Pocillopora elegans. Coral collected from a greater Los Cabos tidal pool, Baja California Sur, January 2010. First photograph is of an in vivo colony that range in size from 1 m (3 feet 3 inches) square by 15 cm (5.9 inches) deep. The second photograph is of one colony that is 6.0 cm (2.5 inches) x 6.0 cm (2.5 inches) x 4.0 cm (1.5 inches).
Cauliflower Coral, Pocillopora elegans. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, May 2018. Photographs courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Cauliflower Coral, Pocillopora elegans. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters of the greater Loreto area, Baja California Sur, October 2024. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Phylogeny: The Cauliflower Coral, Pocillopora elegans, is a member of the Pocilloporidae Family of Stony Coral. The Pocillopora Genus is one of four genera in the Pocilloporidae Family and there are twenty-three species in the Pocillopora Genus. The genus name Pocillopora comes from the Greek words meaning “many-colored pores” referring to the diverse appearance of corals in this genus. The Latin word elegans is used in biology to describe something of refined beauty, graceful appearance, or striking pattern. They are also known as the Elegant Coral and in Mexico as Coral Elegante.
Morphology: The branching of the Cauliflower Coral produces large, bush-like coral heads which can range in color from pale to dark brown to green. They have verrucae (fuzzy wart-like projections) that are uniform, rounded and smooth and small polyps that are embedded in the stony skeleton. They are typically 0.6 (2.0 feet) to 1 m (3.5 feet) tall, growing at rates of 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) to 5 cm (2.0 inches) per year. Cauliflower Coral may be confused with Pocillopora verrucosa (also named Cauliflower Coral) which has more blunt, bump-like, branches.
Habitat and Distribution: Cauliflower Coral grows on hard substrates and thrives in shallow reef environments with good tidal flows. It is found from the lowest intertidal zone to a depth of around 18 m (60 feet). The Cauliflower Coral is found in subtropical and tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific with the exception that is is absent from north of Todoa Santos, Baja California Sur, along the central and northwest coasts of the Baja Peninsula and north of Loreto, Baja California Sur, in the Sea of Cortez. Worldwide, the Cauliflower Coral is the second most important coral contributor to reef formation.
Diet: Cauliflower Coral has a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae (single-cell dinoflagellates). Zooxanthellae live within certain coral polyps, sea anemones, jellyfish, and nudibranchs. They produce energy by means of photosynthesis and the energy is passed along to their hosts, sometimes providing the majority of the host’s total energy needs. In return, the host provides nutrients, carbon dioxide, and a secure, sunlit, platform for the zooxanthellae. During periods of chemical or thermal stress the corals can eject the zooxanthellae to reduce metabolic stress. This causes the coral to appear white. This process is known as coral bleaching. Coral bleaching can be an indicator of an unhealthy environment, or a natural response to a short-term condition such as El Niño. The coral will replace the zooxanthellae after the stress is resolved, or it will acquire a different species of zooxanthellae that is better accommodated to the new environment. In either case, the polyp risks starvation if it is unable to replace the zooxanthellae quickly. Cauliflower Corals supplement the energy provided by zooxanthellae by using their tentacles to capture amphipods and other plankton from the surrounding water. The tentacles then pass the food to the mouth. Because these polyps cannot change location, the Cauliflower Corals are found in areas where moving water, caused by wave action or current, brings them more food.
Predation: Cauliflower Coral polyps are preyed upon by crabs, fish, gastropods, sea stars and polychaete worms.
Reproduction: Cauliflower Coral polyps are hermaphrodites, that reproduce sexually via broadcast spawning. The developing larvae are brooded within the parent polyp until they are ready to be released as planktonic larvae, which later settle to the bottom. They tend to spawn each month within a couple of days surrounding a new moon. They also reproduce asexually through fragmentation and budding. The polyps have life spans of seven or eight years.
Ecosystem Interactions: Cauliflower Corals host a variety of organisms in a commensal relationship, including: crabs, shrimp, brittle stars, gastropods, small octopus, worms, and fish. These animals find shelter between the branches of this coral.
Human Interactions: Cauliflower Coral has a wide application in the aquarium trade due its easy propagation and adaptable nature. Historically it has also been harvested for sale as curios or souvenirs. It is now protected from harvest in most areas. Otherwise, Cauliflower Coral has a very limited impact on human activities. They are vulnerable to damage from boat groundings, improper anchor usage, coral bleaching, disease, and unnaturally high populations of Crown-of-Thorns, Ancanthaster planci. From a conservation perspective, it is considered to be Vulnerable or Endangered depending on the region.
Synonyms: None