Pocillopora damicornis, the cauliflower coral (family Pocilloporidae), is one of the most widespread and ecologically important branching corals in the Indo-Pacific, forming compact, cauliflower-like colonies with characteristic verrucae on exposed reef crests and slopes. It is among the most studied corals in the world, serving as a model for coral reproduction, symbiosis, and bleaching physiology. The species shows remarkable phenotypic plasticity and harbors diverse Symbiodiniaceae genotypes with variable thermal tolerance. Genomic data have been generated for this species and are available in public databases, enabling comparative studies of cnidarian evolution and ecology.