Pocillopora capitata
A principal reef-building coral of the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
Pocillopora capitata, commonly known as the Cauliflower coral, is a principal hermatypic (reef-building) coral found in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. It is a colonial species of stony coral of the class Anthozoa, order Scleractinia, and family Pocilloporidae, first documented and described by Addison Emery Verrill in 1864. The species is threatened by climate change effects including increased temperatures that cause bleaching and hypoxic conditions.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Pocillopora capitata
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Pocillopora capitata is a benthic, substrate-attached, sessile marine species with bilateral symmetry and an imperforate skeleton, typically exhibiting brown tissue coloration. Colonies may form irregular mounds or openly branched systems with tall, cylindrical branches that flatten toward the tips. Polyps have twelve poorly developed septa and twelve small tentacles arranged in a ring around the mouth; retraction of tentacles reveals a fine, dark ring around the corallite calice. Calices are often crowded, especially at branch tips. Verrucae—bumps of the coenosteum containing several corallites—are elongated but irregular in size and distribution. Morphological variation occurs geographically: Panamic P. capitata have small columella, while those near the Galapagos Islands have more pronounced columella and verrucae, giving branches a thorny appearance. Corallivory causes loss of verrucae and swollen branch tips, but recovery is possible if isolated from predators for several months.
Reader's Guide
Pocillopora capitata is a key structural component of coral reef ecosystems in the far Eastern Tropical Pacific, a region influenced by the warm Equatorial Counter Current. It inhabits shallow foreshore zones of subtropical Pacific reefs, ranging from 26°N to 5°S and 115°E to 77°W, including Panama, Colombia (Gorgona islands), the Gulf of California, Ecuador, and the Galapagos archipelago (except Fernandina and Isabela Islands). In the Mexican Central Pacific, it occurs at La Boquita, Carrizales, and Tenacatita reefs. Typically found at depths of 0–40 meters (3–12 meters in the Galapagos), it experiences high wave exposure and prefers clear, low-turbidity water. As with most Scleractinian corals, it relies on symbiotic dinoflagellates. Threats include ocean acidification and hypoxia from climate change, which cause bleaching; a 2004 event at La Boquita saw 12% of P. capitata bleached. Ocean warming increases upwelling of oxygen-depleted water, particularly endangering deeper individuals. The decline of this reef-building coral harms the habitat and species that depend on it.
Did You Know?
- Pocillopora capitata was first described by Addison Emery Verrill in 1864.
- Its first known fossil appearance is from the upper Pleistocene, about 0.126 million years ago.
- On a dry weight basis, P. capitata tissue is composed of approximately 34% lipids.
- In the summer of 2004, 12% of P. capitata on La Boquita were observed to have suffered bleaching.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pocillopora capitata?
Pocillopora capitata, commonly called the Cauliflower coral, is a colonial stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It serves as one of the principal reef-building species in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, forming the structural backbone of those reef communities.
Where does Pocillopora capitata live in the wild?
The species spans a remarkably wide geographic range, from 26°N to 5°S latitude and 115°E to 77°W longitude. In the Galápagos Islands specifically, it is most commonly encountered in shallower waters between 3 and 12 meters below the surface.
What depth range does Pocillopora capitata occupy?
Across its full distribution the coral is found from the surface down to roughly 40 meters below sea level. In the Galápagos it tends to cluster in the 3-to-12-meter band where light and wave energy best suit its growth form.
What threatens Pocillopora capitata?
Rising sea temperatures tied to climate change push the coral into bleaching events and hypoxic, low-oxygen conditions that damage its living tissue. These combined stressors are the leading drivers of population decline in its Eastern Pacific strongholds.
Who first described Pocillopora capitata and when?
The species was formally documented and named by the American zoologist Addison Emery Verrill in 1864. Fossil records indicate the coral lineage has persisted since at least the upper Pleistocene, roughly 126,000 years ago.
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