Cauliflower coral

Fourspot butterflyfish and a head of cauliflower coral
Fourspot butterflyfish and a head of cauliflower coral

A pair of Fourspot Butterflyfishes disturbed a pair of Arc-eye Hawkfishes perched in a head of Cauliflower Coral, as they often do. The coral head is doing OK, but areas of it have died off, probably during one of the coral bleaching events that have happened in the past few years, where the water gets too warm.

I can get chilly fairly easily when I go swimming, but for me, it’s more distressing when the water feels oddly warm because I know this is bad news for the corals.

8 thoughts on “Cauliflower coral”

  1. kzmcb

    Great captures, Graham. There’s actually a funny looking rock that seems to have two eyes, at the top of the coral and then left a bit. It’s a bit like a sesame street character with a wide mouth.

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  3. bushboy

    Yep, the reefs around the world are collapsing. The Great Barrier Reef here has shrunk by 50% in the last 30 years. As a kid, it was one of the most amazing things ever.
    What is the difference between Cauliflower Coral and Brain Coral, what is in Australian waters?

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    1. Graham Post author

      I think they’re one and the same. Just different names used in different parts of the world. The last couple of days snorkeling, it’s been so chilly, but I live with it because it’s more disturbing when I get in and feel really warm. I know how bad that is for the coral.

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