Characters: Colonies are thin plates and/or contorted fronds with narrow bases and which divide irregularly. Plates usually have radiating ridges which intergrade with fronds. Corallites are aligned in irregular shallow valleys roughly parallel to plate or frond margins.
Colour: Pale or dark brown.
Similar Species: Pavona danai, which has less development of fronds and larger, deeper corallites which tend to align vertically, not parallel to margins. Pavona cactus has smaller, shallower corallites.
Habitat: Shallow reef environments.
Abundance: Generally common.
Taxonomic References: Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Nishihira and Veron (1995); Pillay, Terashima, Venkatasami et al. (2002); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);
