They may form plates, discs or tiered structures, usually with the corallites (skeletal cups in which the polyps sit) only on one surface.

The corallites have porous walls and may be sunk into the surrounding coenosteum (skeletal tissue), or form tubular raised mounds.

They are zooxanthellate, meaning that they contain symbiotic photosynthetic protists in their tissues, and are found in shallow waters where sunshine penetrates.

[3] The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) has been causing much damage to many species of coral in the Indo-Pacific region but Turbinaria sp.

They are hardy corals that are non-aggressive, and do best in well-lit conditions with moderate to high water movement.