[3] Corals are extremely plastic organisms in that their structures rely on their environment, making construction widely variable.

O. glabra colonies are dark brown in color and have an encrusting laminae, or “plate”, formation with twisted septa that form short, clockwise spiral structures .

In a 2016 study analyzing Indo-Pacific corals genotypes, shared haplotypes suggest O. glabra is more closely related to species in the Echinophyllia genera than those in Oxypora.

The plating coral can be found as shallow as 3 meters,[9] but commonly dominates the lower mesophotic zone (60m-80m) due to its structure and large surface area that absorbs the limited light available at those depths.

As sea temperature rises during the spring, many coral species in the Great Barrier Reef synchronize the release of their gametes.

The reason for this phenomenon is still widely unknown, but its importance is evident; whole populations of coral species engage in this action annually.