Meandrophyllia velamentosa ( Goldfuss, 1826 )

Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2008, Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina, Zootaxa 1952, pp. 1-244 : 123-124

Meandrophyllia velamentosa ( Goldfuss, 1826)

Pl. 10, figs 4a–c

v*1826 Astrea velamentosa nobis: Goldfuss, vol. 1, p. 68, pl. 23, figs 4a–b.

v1826 Astrea gyrosa nobis: Goldfuss, vol. 1, p. 68, pl. 23, fig. 5.

1850 Synastrea filamentosa: d‘Orbigny , vol. 2, p. 277.

1850 Synastrea gyrosa: d‘Orbigny , vol. 2, p. 277.

1851a Thamnastrea velamentosa: Milne Edwards & Haime , p. 113.

1851a Parastraea ? gyrosa: Milne Edwards & Haime , p. 116.

1857 Favia ? gyrosa: Milne Edwards , vol. 2, p. 441.

1857 Thamnastraea velamentosa: Milne Edwards , vol. 2, p. 563.

1914 Favia ? gyrosa Goldfuss sp. 1826: Felix, pars 7, p. 173.

1914 Thamnastraea velamentosa Goldfuss sp. 1826: Felix, pars 7, p. 199.

v1925 Thamnstraea velamentosa Goldfuss sp.: Umbgrove, p. 110.

v1925 Thamnstraea gyrosa Goldfuss sp., gen. nov. nom: Umbgrove, p. 112, pl. 11, fig. 18.

v 1999 Fungiastrea ? Velamentosa: Leloux , p. 193, fig. 2.

v 1999 Meandrophyllia gyrosa: Leloux , p. 193, fig. 2.

2002 Fungiastrea velamentosa ( Goldfuss 1826) : Löser et al., p. 317 (older synonyms cited therein).

2002 Meandrophyllia gyrosa ( Goldfuss 1826) : Löser et al., p. 401 (older synonyms cited therein).

2002 Meandrophyllia gyrosa ( Goldfuss, 1826) : Baron-Szabo, p. 110.

2002 Fungiastrea velamentosa ( Goldfuss, 1826) : Baron-Szabo, p. 147.

Dimensions. d (max)=1.5 mm; d (min)=0.8–1.2 mm; c-c (same and adjacent series)=1.2–2.4 mm; s/mm=10– 14/2.

Description. Meandroid colony; corallites generally isolated, sometimes arranged in short meandroid series, consisting of up to 4 corallite centres; series separated by tholiform or tectiform collines; septa developed in 2 irregularly occurring size orders.

Remarks. The taxonomic history of Astrea velamentosa Goldfuss very closely resembles the one of Astrea textilis Goldfuss in that the holotype of this species is preserved as a mold (=negative imprint, see Pl. 10, fig. 4a), it therefore falsely resembles forms that have compact (typical of Thamnastrea) or compact to subcompact septa (typical of Fungiastrea ), no wall between corallites (typical of Thamnastrea, Fungiastrea , and Synastrea ), and very numerous synapticulae (typical of Synastrea ). However, as can be seen in the “positive image” of the holotype presented here (Pl. 10, figs 4b–c), the specimen formerly described as Astrea velamentosa represents a meandroid colony that has rather perforated and costate septa and corallites that are isolated

Type locality of species. Upper Maastrichtian of The Netherlands (St. Pietersberg) .

Distribution. Upper Maastrichtian of The Netherlands.