Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Pocillopora elegans Dana, 1846

coral pétreo, coral coliflor, Stony coral, cauliflower coral

Colonies form compact clumps of uniform, thick and mostly upright branches with flattened ends.

Found in shallow rocky habitats.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Cnidaria

Class
Anthozoa

Order
Scleractinia

Family
Pocilloporidae

Genus
Pocillopora

Species
elegans

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Found in Panama, Gulf of California, Cocos, Malpelo, Line, Marquesas, Tuamotus, Pitcairn-Ducie, the central Indo-Pacific, far eastern Pacific and common throughout the Galàpagos Islands, except Fernandina and W Isabela

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
  • Durham, W.J. (1962) Corals from the Galapagos and Cocos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 32 (2): 41-56.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2009) Evolutionary Responses of Marine Invertebrates to Insular Isolation in Galapagos. Journal of Science and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands, p. 32-42.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. Chiriboga, A., Ober, W.C. (2005) A field guide to corals of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 54 pp.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2008) A field guide to corals and other radiates of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 162 pp.
  • Wells, J.W. (1983) Annotated list of the scleractinian corals of the Galápagos. In: Glynn, P.W. & Wellington, G.M.: Corals and coral reefs of the Galápagos Islands. University of California Press, Berkley, Los Angeles, London, 213-291 p.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Pocillopora elegans", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7902. Accessed 31 October 2026.