The coral is considered to be uncommon due to its low confirmed abundance, yet they are more commonly found in Hawaii, the Indo-Pacific, and  the Tropical Eastern Pacific.

Small corallites made out of calcium carbonate skeletons, serving as polyp's  protection against predation, are found on the surface of Pavona duerdeni, giving the stony coral an overall smooth appearance.

[4] Pavona duerdeni colonies are considered to be massive corals; with the larger structure divided into small hillocks with irregular ridges.

Being part of the order Scleractinia, Pavona duerdeni are stony or hard corals, and colonial where the founding polyp settles and starts to secrete calcium carbonate to protect its body.

As part of the family Agariciidae, Pavona duerdeni is a reef-building stony coral, with mutualistic symbiotic zooxanthellae, helping achieve nutritional requirements in their tissue.

[citation needed] The coral is considered to be uncommon due to its low confirmed abundance, yet has been found in Hawaii, the Indo-Pacific, and the Tropical Eastern Pacific.

[3] The algal symbiosis with the dinoflagellates leads to photosynthetic production by these symbioses, largely responsible for the life and growth of tropical reef communities.

[citation needed] As part of the Anthozoa class, Pavona duerdeni, releases spawning-eggs and sperm into the water columns simultaneously.

[citation needed] White Plague Disease, is a virus first observed in the 1970’s killing coral tissue, thus responsible for major reef declines worldwide.

[citation needed] Contributing to habit loss for reef-associated organisms Pavona duerdeni is affected by diverse challenges reefs face today.