Pocillopora verrucosa
Spot Cauliflower Coral across the Red Sea, Maldives and Philippines. Compact branching colonies teeming with small fish, present year-round in warm tropical reefs.
A compact, dome-shaped colony of short, tightly packed branches covered in small rounded bumps (verrucae) that give it the appearance of a cauliflower head. Colonies typically reach around 20 cm across, sitting low on the reef. Colouration ranges from pale cream and light pink to warm brown depending on its symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae). The knobbly, cauliflower-like surface texture is the key underwater identifier.
Cauliflower coral is stationary, so what you are really watching is the community it supports. Small fish, shrimp, and crabs thread through the branches, using the colony as shelter and a feeding station. Approach slowly and hover without touching; many of the residents, such as gobies and tiny wrasses, scatter quickly if you move in too fast. Daytime dives offer the most activity, when small fish are actively feeding around the colony.
Those knobbly branch tips are not just texture: each bump contains polyps that extend their tentacles at night to filter plankton from the water, so a torchlit night dive reveals a colony that looks entirely different from its daytime self.
In the Northern Hemisphere it is present year-round with no concentrated season, which aligns with its warm-water comfort range of roughly 26 to 29 °C across tropical reefs. Southern Hemisphere sightings, while fewer, concentrate between April and June.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Most commonly logged in Egypt, particularly around Sharm el Sheikh and Marsa Alam, as well as across the Maldives atolls and the central and eastern Philippines. Strong records also exist throughout Indonesia, including Bali and Sumatra, and in Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia's Queensland reefs.
Mapping where Cauliflower Coral is logged…
It is most reliably encountered across the Egyptian Red Sea, particularly around Sharm el Sheikh and Marsa Alam, and throughout the Maldives atolls. The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Queensland in Australia all have strong records too, making it a widespread Indo-Pacific and Red Sea species.
In Northern Hemisphere destinations such as Egypt, the Maldives, and the Philippines, it is present throughout the year with no single peak season. In Southern Hemisphere locations, sightings concentrate between April and June.
Look for a compact, dome-shaped colony with short, densely packed branches covered in rounded bumps. The overall silhouette really does resemble a cauliflower. Colour ranges from pale cream and pink to light brown. Colonies are typically modest in size, sitting close to the reef surface.
Colonies typically reach around 20 to 25 cm across, making them relatively small and easy to overlook on a busy reef. They grow in compact rounded or dome shapes rather than spreading widely.
Yes, it is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Coral bleaching events linked to elevated water temperatures are the primary threat. Divers can help by not touching colonies, controlling buoyancy carefully around them, and logging sightings to citizen-science databases.
The branching structure shelters a variety of small reef creatures including gobies, wrasses, shrimp, and crabs. These residents feed among the branches during the day, making any colony worth a slow, patient look. At night, the coral itself extends its polyp tentacles to feed on plankton.
The Cauliflower Coral is listed as endangered by the IUCN. Observe from a distance, avoid touching or feeding it, and report sightings to local marine research organisations.
Cauliflower coral is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, largely due to coral bleaching driven by rising sea temperatures. Divers should never touch or rest on colonies, keep fins clear to avoid knocking branches, and report bleaching events through citizen-science platforms.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Plate Coral
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