Characters: Colonies are encrusting with or without short, irregularly shaped branches. Colonies seldom exceed one metre across. Axial corallites, if formed, are conspicuous. Radial corallites are mostly rasp-like but are of variable size and face different directions.
Colour: Greenish- or pinkish-brown.
Similar Species: Like the encrusting base of Acropora robusta but does not form large branches. Small colonies of these species may be inseparable. See also A. pinguis, which may also be encrusting but forms thick tapered branches and A. minuta which is totally encrusting and has smaller corallites.
Habitat: Reef flats exposed to strong wave action and lagoons.
Abundance: Uncommon.
Taxonomic References: Wells (1954); Veron and Wallace (1984); Wallace (1999); Veron (2000a); Wallace, Done and Muir (2012);
Identification Guides: Veron (1986a);
