Characters: Colonies are flat to hemispherical and may be over 5 metres across. Several colonies (which may be different colours and have polyp mantles of different texture) may grow together to form a single composite stand. Colonies are phaceloid to flabello-meandroid, the latter with valleys dividing irregularly as growing space permits. Septa taper in thickness from the wall to the columella and have tall sharp teeth. Retracted polyps are thick and fleshy, with either smooth or rough mantles.
Colour: Uniform in colour or with two or more colours concentric to mouths or valley walls. All corallites of the same colony have the same colours.
Similar Species: Lobophyllia dentatus, which is always monocentric and has more exsert septa with relatively prominent teeth. See also L. corymbosa, which is also monocentric and L. robusta, which has larger, more fleshy corallites.
Habitat: Upper reef slopes.
Abundance: Frequently a dominant species and may form extensive single species stands.
Taxonomic Note: A species complex. This species has a complex synonymy, see Veron and Pichon (1980).
Taxonomic References: Chevalier (1975); Veron and Pichon (1980); Veron (2000a);
Identification Guides: Randall and Myers (1983); Veron (1986a); Sheppard and Sheppard (1991); Nishihira and Veron (1995); Pillay, Terashima, Venkatasami et al. (2002); Pichon, Benzoni, Chaineau et al. (2010); Turak and DeVantier (2011b);
