Characters: Colonies are submassive or encrusting plates or form flat tiers. Corallites are immersed or exsert (intermixed), the latter being conical with thick thecae. Thecal and coenosteum papillae are both thick.
Colour: Usually uniform brown or blue (which may photograph purple). Corallite centres may be brightly coloured.
Similar Species: Montipora aequituberculata, which has smaller corallites and fewer papillae; these species may be difficult to distinguish unless they occur together.
Habitat: Upper and lower reef slopes.
Abundance: Usually uncommon.
Taxonomic Note: A species complex.
Taxonomic References: Veron and Wallace (1984); Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Veron (1986a); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);
