Anthozoa - Scleractinia - Agariciidae

Alternative combination: Madrepora cactus

Belongs to Pavona according to van der Horst 1921

Sister taxa: Pavona banoensis, Pavona bipartita, Pavona bronni, Pavona burdigalensis, Pavona clavus, Pavona danai, Pavona decussata, Pavona duerdeni, Pavona explanulata, Pavona frondifera, Pavona gigantea, Pavona irregularis, Pavona javana, Pavona longicollis, Pavona machapooriensis, Pavona maldivensis, Pavona matheroni, Pavona microstoma, Pavona minuta, Pavona modeloensis, Pavona panamensis, Pavona pennyi, Pavona profunda, Pavona ruvida, Pavona trinitatis, Pavona varians, Pavona venosa, Hydnophorabacia variabilis

Ecology: stationary intermediate-level epifaunal microcarnivore-photosymbiotic