Porites lutea is a species of stony coral in the family Poritidae. It is found growing in very shallow water on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It sometimes forms "microatolls" in the intertidal zone and these massive structures have been used to study trends in sea levels and sea water temperature.

Description Porites lutea forms massive, smooth, hemispherical mounds or helmet-shaped colonies up to 4 m (13 ft) across. The corallites have thin walls and are closely packed, some 1 to 1.5 mm (0.04 to 0.06 in) in diameter. In contrast to Porites lobata, the corallites are well-filled with skeletal elements, including five tall pali near the centre. The colour of this coral is usually cream or yellow, but other bright colours sometimes occur in shallow-water habitats.

Distribution and habitat Porites lutea is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from Madagascar and the east coast of Africa to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and northern and eastern Australia. It occurs on back reef margins, in lagoons and on fringing reefs.