Characters: Colonies have nodular anastomosing branches or columns with encrusting or laminar bases. In turbid water colonies are predominantly laminar.
Colour: Pale or dark green, yellow, purple or brown.
Similar Species: Porites cocosensis. See also P. lichen, which is best distinguished by its different growth-forms and larger corallites, although the size range overlaps. Corallites are closest to P. vaughani.
Habitat: May form single species stands on sloping reef faces in clear or turbid water.
Abundance: Common.
Taxonomic References: Crossland (1952); Veron and Pichon (1982); Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Veron (1986a); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Pillay, Terashima, Venkatasami et al. (2002); Fenner (2005); Pichon, Benzoni, Chaineau et al. (2010);