Characters: Colonies form thickets of intertwining bottlebrush branches, usually with only the distal 200 millimetres being alive. Branches divide irregularly and at frequent intervals to give a bushy colony shape. Axial and incipient axial corallites are tubular and tapered. Radial corallites are short and appressed. Colour: Pale brown, often with yellow branchlet tips. Similar species: Acropora echinata and A. carduus. Usually found with A. echinata, which has much longer axial corallites. Habitat: Usually restricted to protected back reefs with clear water and soft substrates. Abundance: Sometimes common