Common name : cauliflower coral or lace coral

Aspect : bushy or cauliflower-like branching forms with wart-like verrucae (projections) on the surface of branches; shape and structure vary significantly based on environmental conditions; in high-flow, shallow reef areas, branches are typically thick, compact, and robust to withstand wave action; in calmer, deeper waters, they become thinner, more open, and elongated; when alive, colors range from pink, brown, green, or yellow, influenced by symbiotic algae and light exposure

Feeding : autotrophic feeding (primary) and heterotrophic feeding (supplementary). Primarily, they rely on photosynthesis from symbiotic dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) living within their tissues, which provide up to 90% of their nutritional needs through sunlight. They supplement this by actively capturing zooplankton and other small particles using the tentacles of their polyps, especially at night when polyps extend fully

Environment : cosmopolitan in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific Oceans, ranging from the Red Sea to the eastern Pacific, including areas like the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaiian Islands. They thrive in a wide array of shallow-water habitats (typically 1–27 meters depth), from high-energy exposed reef crests and upper fore-reef slopes battered by strong currents and waves, to more sheltered lagoons, mangrove swamps, and even anthropogenic structures like wharf piles