Characters: Colonies are hemispherical or encrusting. Calices are circular in outline, with thick walls. There are usually six thick pali which are in contact, forming a crown. All septal structures are heavily granulated.
Colour: Brown or green, usually with distinctively coloured oral discs and pale tips to the tentacles.
Similar Species: Goniopora tenuidens, which has blunt tentacles of uniform length.
Habitat: Subtidal reef environments, especially lagoons.
Abundance: Common.
Taxonomic References: Crossland (1952); Veron and Pichon (1982); Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Randall and Myers (1983); Sheppard and Sheppard (1991); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Pichon, Benzoni, Chaineau et al. (2010); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);