Oxypora lacera

Colonies can adopt various forms, encrusting, plate-like or lumpy, sometimes varying in form in different parts of the same colony. 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. Septa-costae can be seen between the corallites, and the costae bear spines. The underside of the laminate plates are spiny and there are perforations in the plates. The colour of this coral is greyish-brown or grey, sometimes with a greenish tinge; the oral disc may have a complementary colour of red or green. Colonies seldom grow to a diameter of more than 30 cm (10 in). This coral can be confused with Echinophyllia aspera underwater.

O. lacera is native to the Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to Japan, the South China Sea, and eastern, northern and western Australia. It grows on protected reef slopes down to about 30 m (100 ft), and to greater depths on outer reef slopes than on inner slopes. It is a common species, but is not conspicuous because of its drab colouring.