The polyps are of a distinctive appearance being of regular length and topped with a uniform bundle of tentacles.

Its range extends from Madagascar, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through the western, central and eastern Indian Ocean to southeastern Asia, Indonesia, Japan and the South China Sea, northern and eastern Australia and island groups in the western Pacific Ocean.

[1] Goniopora tenuidens is one of several species of corals that are bioeroded by the sponge Cliona orientalis, which tunnels into its skeletal structure.

[4] This is a common species of coral with a wide range and a presumed large total population.

The main threat faced by corals is destruction of their reef habitats, through climate change, with increased incidence of severe storms, and ocean acidification.