Physophyllia ayleni

P. ayleni forms colonies with encrusting or stratified plates. The plates have vertical walls of irregular height, radiating toward the plate margins. These walls separate individual corallites or small groups of corallites, which are consequently widely spaced. Its color ranges from dark grey to dark brownish-green. Some specimens reach 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter, but colonies of 20–30 cm (8–12 in) are more common.

It lives in coral reefs located in tropical waters near the coast. It is found in most reef habitats, except in areas with strong currents. It typically occurs at depths between 2 and 25 m (6.6 and 82.0 ft). The species is found in the Indo-Pacific and is native to Australia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Sinapore, the Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

It contains mutualistic symbiotic algae (both organisms benefit from the relationship) called zooxanthellae. The algae perform photosynthesis, producing oxygen and sugars, which are used by the polyps, and they feed on the coral's metabolic waste products (especially phosphorus and nitrogen).