Hawaii Nature Journal
  • Hawaii Plants and animals in the backyard and beyond

Cauliflower and Rice                                      Corals of Hawaii

6/11/2013

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cauliflower coral
Cauliflower Coral. Photo http://openwaterpedia.com
rice coral
Rice coral. Photo: Florent Charpin
coral polypCoral polyp. Credit: Smithsonian
Cauliflower and rice. Sounds good, right? Surprise - these are the names given to two of Hawaii's most common corals. Let's start our tasting with the cauliflower coral: Pocillopora meandrina, or ko'a to Hawaiians.  It exists in a variety of habitats, but is a dominant coral in areas of heavy surge. The colony forms a symmetrical head about 12-15 inches in size, and color can range from creamy brown to pink. The "florets" of the cauliflower coral are covered in little warty bumps. That texture made it a popular sandpaper for early Hawaiians.
Next on the menu is the rice coral, Montipora capitata, which prefers calmer water habitats, such as Kane'ohe Bay. It can assume a variety of forms. Typically, the shaded colonies form large plates that look as though they are speckled with rice, while those exposed to more sun tend to be spiky.

Just what is coral? It's a colony made up of individual animals called coral polyps. They are sort of like mini sea anemones, and are connected to each other. As dissolved minerals drift over the coral, the polyps remove them and deposit them as calcium carbonate, forming the rocky skeleton.


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    Auntie Jeanne

    welcomes you to visit with the all the wonderful flora and fauna that we share this lovely aina with.

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About the blogger: Jeanne Lindgren is a science teacher and nature enthusiast. She has taught and traveled throughout Asia and Europe and now makes her home in Honolulu. She welcomes any comments, corrections, questions or compliments on her nature journal, and wishes all who visit here many great nature experiences. Happy trails.