Caryophyllioidea Dana, 1846

Löser, Hannes, Werner, Winfried & Darga, Robert, 2023, Middle Cenomanian coral fauna from the Roßsteinalmen (Northern Calcareous Alps, Bavaria, Southern Germany) – a revised and extended version, Zitteliana 97, pp. 89-147 : 89-147

Superfamily Caryophyllioidea Dana, 1846

Description.

Mainly solitary, rarely colonial (phaceloid) corals. Septa compact, regular thickness, mostly in a regular radial symmetry. Septal upper margins smooth, lateral faces with few small thorns or granulae. Lonsdaleoid septa and main septum absent. Microstructure of probably very small trabeculae that can only be traced by a dark line. Synapticulae absent. Pali and columella can be present. The endotheca is variable, but generally poorly developed in solitary forms. Marginarium absent. Wall septothecal. Coenosteum absent.

Family Caryophylliidae Dana, 1846

The classification of the family is difficult. Their fossil members are generally poorly known, and particularly this is the case for many type species. The reason is that solitary corals have been – in contrast to colonial corals – much less studied using thin sections. Whereas large coral colonies often provide pieces to prepare thin sections, the preparation of thin sections from a solitary coral generally results in its complete loss. The study of solitary corals always demands specimen-rich populations. These populations are not always available. Therefore, not all material shown here can be assigned to a genus.