The corallites are small and pentagonal, giving the surface of the coral a pitted appearance when the polyps are retracted.

[3] P. branneri is native to shallow water habitats in the southern Caribbean Sea and the northern coasts of South America.

Its range includes Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and northern and eastern Brazil, between Ceará and Cabo Frio.

It occurs on reefs, in channels and pools in the intertidal zone, in places with vigorous movement of water, to a maximum depth of 3 m (10 ft).

[1] The greatest threat that this coral faces is loss of habitat due to damage to the shallow water reefs where it lives.