Characters: Colonies are digitate and commonly form attached plates over one metre across. Branches are small, cylindrical or tapered, and sub-branches are sometimes formed. Axial corallites are small to medium in size. Radial corallites are tubular, uniform in size down branch sides, and usually have slightly flaring lips.
Colour: Purple, pale brown, cream or yellow, often with pale blue (which may photograph purple), cream or yellow branch tips.
Similar Species: Acropora japonica. See also A. humilis, A. gemmifera, and (especially) A. monticulosa, all of which have substantially larger branches.
Habitat: Wave-washed back margins of reefs.
Abundance: Sometimes common.
Taxonomic References: Wallace (1978); Veron and Wallace (1984); Wallace (1999); Veron (2000a); Wallace, Done and Muir (2012);
Identification Guides: Veron (1986a); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Pillay, Terashima, Venkatasami et al. (2002); Chan, Choi, McCorry et al. (2005); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);