The name comes from the Greek, maiandros meaning "meandering", referring to the miniature, winding valleys found between the corallites.

Fossil corals in this family have been found dating back to the Cretaceous.

[2] The Meandrinidae are colonial corals and form part of the reef- building community.

They occur in various different shapes, including massive, encrusting, columnar, and phaceloid (with tubular corallites united at the base).

[2] The World Register of Marine Species includes these genera in the family:[1]