Turbinaria peltata may be foliaceous or encrusting, and tends to form thick, flat plates, often in overlapping tiers.

The corallites are found on a single side of each plate and are about 3 to 5 mm (0.12 to 0.20 in) in diameter, being either immersed in the skeleton or raised on tubular mounds.

On the upper surfaces of larger colonies, two-sided ridges or cylindrical columns may form.

Its range extends from the coast of East Africa to Taiwan and American Samoa.

Localised threats include fisheries, damage to reefs, tourism, pollution and sedimentation.