Previously mistaken for Ceriops decandra, this Ceriops species can be found along the west coast of West Malaysia, Thailand (Gulf of Thailand side), South Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia (Bintan, Lombok, Java).
Ceriops zippeliana (left) is commonly mistaken for Ceriops decandra (found in India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh). For comparison, Ceriops tagal is placed on the right. Interestingly, at least for Singapore mangroves, Ceriops zippeliana is the more common Ceriops species, and it is commonly found in the middle of the mangrove forest as this species is extremely shade tolerant.