On thin laminar plates, which may be a few millimetres thick, the corallites are delicate and about 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter.

Near the plate attachment the coral is thicker and the corallites are coarser.

Its range extends from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to Japan, the South China Sea, and eastern, northern and western Australia.

Gametes are shed into the body cavity and pass through the mouths of the polyps into the sea.

However, it has a very wide range and is a common species, often found in deep water below 25 m (80 ft), so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".