Actinacis barretti Wells, 1934

Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2008, Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina, Zootaxa 1952, pp. 1-244 : 103-104

Actinacis barretti Wells, 1934

Pl. 8, fig. 10

v*1934 Actinacis barretti: Wells , p. 101, pl. 4, figs 1–2.

v 1960 Actinacis barretti Wells : Berryhill, et al., p. 151.

1974 Porites anguillensis Vaughan : Frost & Langenheim, p. 221, pl. 75, figs 1–3.

1974 Goniopora copoyensis n. sp.: Frost & Langenheim, p. 238, pl. 81, figs 5–6.

1991 Actinacis alabamiensis: Bryan , p. 426ff.

1992 Actinacis barretti Wells, 1934 : Budd et al., p. 593.

1992 Actinacis caribiensis Frost and Langenheim, 1974 : Budd et al., p. 593.

1997 Actinacis alabamiensis: Stemann , in Bryan et al., p. 33, text-fig. 1A.

v1997 Actinacis barretti Wells, 1934 : Vecsei & Moussavian, p. 131, pl. 36, fig. 3.

Dimensions. d = 0.8–1.3 mm; c-c=1.5–2.5 mm; s=16–22, in juvenile corallites the number may be 12, in oldest corallites the number may reach 24.

Description. Colonial, submassive to ramose, plocoid; gemmation extracalicinal; costosepta subcompact, thin, granulated laterally, arranged in varying systems; columella papillose to substyliform; wall synapticulothecate, incomplete; pali absent; synapticulae abundant. Endothecal dissepiments sparse.

Remarks. Re-examination of the type specimen of Actinacis barretti revealed that the dimensions of the skeletal elements considerably vary from those originally given by Wells (1934). He reported 24 septa arranged in 6 systems and a corallite diameter of not more than 1 mm.

From the Middle Eocene of Mexico Frost & Langenheim (1974) described the species Actinacis caribiensis which is supposed to be characterized by a corallite diameter of 0.7–1.2 mm and 16 septa developed in 8 systems. However , in the holotype the number of septa ranges mainly from 14–20 (12 septa in juvenile corallites) and the septal arrangement is generally in 8 but also in 6 systems. Therefore, it is considered a junior synonym of Wells‘ species .

Type locality of species. Middle Eocene of Jamaica (Yellow Limestone) .

Distribution. Paleocene of Italy (Maiella Platform) and the USA (Alabama, Salt Mountain Limestone), Danian of Puerto Rico, Middle Eocene of Jamaica (Yellow Limestone) and Mexico (San Juan Formation), Upper Oligocene of Mexico (La Quinta Formation).