Characters: Colonies are massive to encrusting. Corallites are angular in shape and have thick walls. Long and short septa generally alternate. Paliform lobes are well developed in colonies from turbid water but may be absent in colonies from exposed habitats.
Colour: Usually pale brown. Corallite centres are often cream.
Similar Species: Goniastrea edwardsi, which has similar skeletal structures but is much smaller. See also Favites pentagona and F. halicora.
Habitat: Usually intertidal habitats where different colonies may adjoin to form flat expanses frequently over 5 metres across. Also occurs in protected turbid environments.
Abundance: Sometimes common and may be a dominant species.
Taxonomic Note: A species complex. Placed in genus Coelastrea by Huang, Benzoni, Fukami et al. (2014). However, this genus is a synonym of Platygyra.
Taxonomic References: Wijsman-Best (1972); Veron, Pichon and Wijsman-Best (1977); Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Veron (1986a); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Pillay, Terashima, Venkatasami et al. (2002); Chan, Choi, McCorry et al. (2005); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);
