Characters: Polyps consist of fan-shaped segments up to 40 millimetres wide. Thick beaded septa are of unequal height. Polyps are commonly inflated with water to several times the volume of the skeleton.
Colour: Cream or brown, sometimes mottled.
Similar Species: Diaseris fragilis, which is larger with thinner margins and has septa of uniform height.
Habitat: Soft substrates, especially where exposed to currents. Sometimes found in seagrass beds.
Abundance: Uncommon, but may be plentiful where it occurs.
Taxonomic Note: Called Cycloseris distorta by Gittenberger, Reijnen and Hoeksema (2011)) from molecular data. However, there are clear morphological differences between the two genera.
Taxonomic References: Veron and Pichon (1980); Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Veron (1986a); Sheppard and Sheppard (1991); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Coles (1996); Fenner (2005); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);
