brain coral

American  

noun

1. any of several reef-building corals of the genus Meandrina, having a highly convoluted and furrowed surface.

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brain coral British  

noun

1. a stony coral of the genus Meandrina , in which the polyps lie in troughlike thecae resembling the convoluted surface of a human brain

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Etymology

Origin of brain coral

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

One of these organisms, Ancoracysta twista, was discovered in 2017 on tropical aquarium brain coral by Keeling and others, but it was so weird compared to other microbes that it was considered an "orphan."

From Salon

Coral Morphologic sells a line of surf and swimwear that takes designs from flower anemones and brain coral and uses environmentally sustainable materials such as a type of nylon recycled from old fishing nets.

From Seattle Times

The tiles are designed in layers, using biomimicry to replicate the geometry of a brain coral, so as not to interfere with the growth patterns of real coral.

From The Guardian

They split and clone themselves one by one to eventually form large, curious looking underwater structures — brain coral, staghorn, elkhorn, fan, star and hundreds more shapes, depending on their species.

From New York Times

A nearby brain coral is split by jagged white lines, further evidence of disease.

From The Guardian