| Porites | |
| General description: calices 5-sided polygons; well developed septa and columella give "snowflake" appearance. | |
| Porites compressa - finger coral |  |
| Growth form: finger-like branching with porous skeleton; tips of branches usually blunt or flattened; light-brown to yellow. | |
| Fine structure: calices flush with surface; upper septa surface looks like elevated rods. | |
| Habitat: wave-protected areas, 0-50 m. | |
| Porites evermanni |  |
| Growth form: resembles P. lobata by forming low, flat-topped or cube-like lobes with rounded edges; gray, brown, or purple. | |
| Fine structure: septa made up of thin plates that form a continuous porous surface; calyx walls form a ring. | |
| Habitat: wave-exposed reef flats. | |
| Porites lobata - lobe coral |  |
| Growth form: branches form large lobes, never thin or finger-like; colonies may be huge, covering several meters or more; olive-green, brown, or blue-gray. | |
| Fine structure: calyx sides are membrane-like and elevated into sharp walls. | |
| Habitat: wave-exposed areas, 0-50 m. | |
| Porites rus |  |
| Growth form: cylindrical lobes, irregular, or flat plates; blackish-brown with white, yellow, or gray tips. | |
| Fine structure: small, round, shallow calices well separated on the surface. | |
| Habitat: all reef environments, 0-50 m. | |
