Acropora cytherea is a dominant table-forming coral found throughout the Indo-Pacific, forming large, flat, horizontally spreading colonies exceeding one meter in diameter on upper reef slopes and outer crests at 3–25 m depth. Its impressive structure provides critical habitat for reef fish assemblages and contributes substantially to carbonate accretion. The species harbors Symbiodiniaceae endosymbionts and is highly vulnerable to elevated sea surface temperatures. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, it has experienced marked declines across much of its range. Genomic data have been generated for this species and are available in public databases, enabling comparative studies of cnidarian evolution and ecology.