Rasp coral (Pocillopora verrucosa) care guide

Group
Corals
Other names
Knob-horned cauliflower coral, Rasp coral, Cauliflower coral
Family
Pocilloporidae
Origin
Widespread across the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, on shallow, exposed reef slopes
Water
saltwater
Temperature
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
dKH 8–12
Care level
intermediate
Reef safe
yes
Lighting
Moderate to high; about PAR 200–350, acclimatised over two to three weeks
Flow
Strong, turbulent, not a direct blast

Care

Pocillopora verrucosa is a branching small-polyp stony (SPS) coral that forms dense, rounded clumps of thick branches covered in knobbly bumps (verrucae). With polyps open it looks fuzzy. Colours are usually pink, cream, brown or green. Placement: middle to top of the rockwork, with space around it to grow. Light and flow: strong light and strong, varied flow keep it healthy. Move it to brighter light gradually over two to three weeks to avoid bleaching. Water and supplements: keep alkalinity, calcium and magnesium stable, and add strontium and trace elements as needed. Low but not zero nitrate and phosphate help keep its colour. Growth: fast once settled. Pocillopora can also release planulae or "bail out" polyps under stress, so new colonies may appear in odd corners, overflows or sumps. Selling: this is a CITES Appendix II coral. Frags grown in the UK can be sold freely; wild-collected or imported pieces must have been legally imported with CITES paperwork. Neither source lists Pocillopora verrucosa itself; the figures here are LiveAquaria's and Top Shelf Aquatics' guidance for the closely related Pocillopora damicornis. Sources: LiveAquaria (liveaquaria.com/products/green-cauliflower-pocillopora-coral); Top Shelf Aquatics (topshelfaquatics.com/pages/corals/green-pocillopora-coral). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Mainly photosynthetic. Feed fine particulate foods (rotifers, copepod nauplii, powdered plankton or coral foods) once to three times a week; LiveAquaria suggests about twice a week. Feeding supports growth and colour but matters less than light.

Breeding

Easy to frag: snap or cut a branch with bone cutters and glue it to a plug. Frags heal and branch quickly. Polyp bailout and planulae can also produce new colonies without help.

Compatibility and tank mates

Generally peaceful but can sting close neighbours. Top Shelf suggests about 8–15 cm (3–6 in) of space. Keep it away from aggressive LPS and leather corals. Commensal Trapezia crabs and gall crabs often live in the branches and are usually harmless. Watch for nudibranchs and vermetid snails.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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