Characters: Colonies are corymbose cushions, with short, thick, uniform branches. Axial corallites are distinctive; they are tubular in shape. Radial corallites are closely compacted and all the same size. They have prominent lower lips giving a scale-like appearance.
Colour: Commonly green with orange tips. Also may be a distinctive bright salmon pink, pale green or blue (which may photograph purple underwater).
Similar Species: Acropora millepora and A. convexa both of which have finer branches. A. millepora is less compact and less corymbose, A. convexa forms compact clumps. Corallites of all three species are similar. A. spathulata is usually brightly coloured.
Habitat: Shallow water, usually reef flats, but also lagoons and upper reef slopes.
Abundance: Common.
Taxonomic Note: Called Acropora millepora by Wallace (1978), Veron and Wallace (1984) and Veron (2000a) and corrected by Wallace (1999).
Taxonomic References: Wallace (1999); Wallace, Done and Muir (2012);
