Pocillopora verrucosa

Pocillopora verrucosa is a stony coral that builds hemispherical clumps of branches 1–2 cm thick whose tips widen like knobs. The surface of the branches is covered with large warts (verrucae) of similar size and spacing; both the species name and the name "rasp coral" come from these. Its color can be pink, greenish yellow, brown or bluish brown. In the wild it reaches a diameter of about 30 cm. Trade in stony corals is subject to CITES Appendix II; choose an aquacultured frag.

• Light: High light; roughly 200–350 PAR, with gradual acclimation.
• Flow: Strong, random flow; it is a species used to wave action.
• Placement: The upper part of the rockwork, with 10 cm of space around it.
• Water parameters: Salinity 1.025–1.026, temperature 25–26.5°C; this genus is very sensitive to rising temperature, so it should not exceed 28°C. KH 7–9 dKH, calcium 400–450 mg/L, magnesium 1250–1400 mg/L, nitrate 2–10 mg/L, phosphate 0.02–0.08 mg/L.

It is photosynthetic; it gets most of its energy from zooxanthellae algae. At night its polyps also capture small plankton; fine powdered food given in the evening can support growth.

Its aggression is low; it can lightly irritate a coral it touches. Keep it away from long-tentacled LPS. Wild colonies have guard crabs (Trapezia) between the branches; they do not harm the coral. Dwarf angelfish may pick at the polyps.