Montipora verrucosa

Mature M. verrucosa release sperm and egg bundles that float in the water column. These bundles eventually burst, and fertilized eggs develop into planktonic larvae that float around in the water column. These planktonic follow chemical cues to find suitable substrate to attach to. Once attached to substate deemed suitable, the planktonic larva metamorphosis into adult benthic polyp. However, if their environment becomes unfavorable, adult polyps can retract their "polyp to the center of the primary skeleton and reverted back into a planktonic phase". If conditions became favorable again before the adult polyp detached, "the polyp flattened out over the original skeleton and tentacles reappeared". For adult polyps that fully transformed back to a their planktonic larvae phase, they resettled and metamorphosised into their adult benthic polyp when their environment become favorable.