Characters: Colonies are cerioid with corallites up to 50 millimetres diameter. Septa are coarsely toothed. Polyps have a fleshy mantle up to 100 millimetres diameter and with a Lobophyllia–like texture.
Colour: Green, grey or brown.
Similar Species: Symphyllia wilsoni. The fleshy mantles are more extensive than those of any other Acanthastrea. Acanthastrea ishigakiensis has slightly smaller polyps.
Habitat: Known only from moderately deep, turbid water.
Abundance: Uncommon.
Taxonomic Note: This species is placed in Sclerophyllia rather than Acanthastrea because of close genetic and micro-morphological similarlty with Sclerophyllia margariticola.
Taxonomic References: Sheppard and Salm (1988); Veron (2000a); Arrigoni, Berumen, Terraneo et al. (2014);
Identification Guides: Sheppard and Sheppard (1991); Carpenter, Harrison, Hodgson et al. (1997); Pichon, Benzoni, Chaineau et al. (2010);
