Pocillopora meandrina Coral
Pocillopora meandrina
Quick Facts
About the Species
Pocillopora meandrina (sometimes called cauliflower coral) is found in coral communities at depths of 1 to 27 meters, commonly on shallow reefs exposed to strong wave action. It is found on most coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, with a range extending from the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean to the west coast of Central America in the eastern Pacific. The species is found in all U.S. Pacific Islands jurisdictions.
Protected Status
CITES Appendix II
- Throughout Its Range
Appearance
Colonies of Pocillopora meandrina are small upright bushes, with branches radiating from the initial point of growth. Branches are flattened and covered by bumps called verrucae. Colonies are usually cream colored, but can also be green or pink.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Cnidaria | Class | Anthozoa | Order | Scleractinia | Family | Pocilloporidae | Genus | Pocillopora | Species | meandrina |
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Regulatory History
In March 2018, NOAA Fisheries received a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to list Pocillopora meandrina in Hawai‘i under the Endangered Species Act. The petition requested that the Hawai‘i portion of P. meandrina's range be considered a significant portion of its range. However, before we could analyze such specifics of P. meandrina's range, we must first find that the species is neither endangered nor threatened throughout all of its range. Thus, we interpreted the petition (PDF, 52 pages) as a request to consider the status of P. meandrina throughout its entire range first.
View the 2019 Status Report (PDF, 84 pages)
In 2020, a 12-month finding was published that concluded that listing was not warranted.
Documents
Literature Cited in Pocillopora Meandrina Coral 90-Day Finding
Alphabetical listing of all documents cited in 90-day finding.