The Small Polyp Stony (SPS) corals as presented in this guide include a grouping which are not necessarily related. Although there is disagreement as to what defines a large or a small polyp stony coral, the description is useful for identifying corals as long as the limitations of this classification are understood.

Corals which are described as being SPS generally do not have an abundance of tissue covering the skeleton. SPS corals are identified by the shape of the skeleton and the corallite detail covering the skeleton. Most of these SPS have polyps which are smaller than half an inch or 1 cm in diameter.

SPS corals occur from the shallowest to the deepest parts of reefs. Evaluating the colony shape can offer some insight as to what environment a coral prefers. Corals with thick plates or branches most likely originate from a high energy environment with strong water flow and intense light levels. Corals with thinner branches or delicate plates likely originate from a moderate energy environment with moderate flow speed and intermediate light levels.

Most SPS are relatively fast growers and many species are suited for captive propagation. Branching species can be fragmented with coral cutters but all shapes can easily be cut with a cutting tool such as a dremel cutting wheel.