Ellipsocoenia conferta ( Umbgrove, 1925 )

Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2008, Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina, Zootaxa 1952, pp. 1-244 : 186-187

Ellipsocoenia conferta ( Umbgrove, 1925)

Pl. 18, figs 2a, b

v1925 Favia Maastrichtensis spec. nov.: Umbgrove, p. 107, pl. 11, fig. 19.

2000 Favia maastrichtensis, Umbgrove 1926 : Löser, p. 35.

2000 Orbicella conferta, Umbgrove 1926 : Löser, p. 56.

2002 Favia conferta Umbgrove, 1925 : Leloux, p. 13.

v2002 Favia maastrichtensis Umbgrove, 1925 : Leloux, p. 14, pl. 1, fig. 4.

Dimensions. d (max, lumen)= 3.5– 8 mm; d (min, lumen)= 3–6 mm; c-c= 6–10 mm; s=60, up to around 80.

Description. Plocoid colony; corallites elliptical in outline; costosepta compact to subcompact, nonconfluent to subconfluent, arranged in 4 complete cycles with the beginning of a fifth cycle in 6 systems; anastomosis of S3 to S2 and S4 to S3 common; columella spongy-papillose, trabecular-lamellar in some corallites.

Remarks. In having both subcompact septa and a synapticulothecal wall, as well as showing intracalicinal budding, the holotype originally described as Orbicella conferta closely corresponds to the genus Ellipsocoenia d’Orbigny but differs from the genus Orbicella Dana (=junior synonym of Montastrea Blainville according to Vaughan & Wells 1943, Wells 1956, and others), which is characterized by compact septa, extracalicinal budding, and a corallite wall that is septothecal and septoparathecal. The specimen orginally described as Favia maastrichtensis differs from the genus Favia Oken in having a synapticulothecal wall (parathecal and septothecal in Favia ) and in showing intracalicinal budding with polyps that remain monocentric until comlpete separation of new polyps. In Favia up to three corallite centres remain connected, forming a small meandroid series. In addition, in Favia the intracalicinal budding takes place by septal division (sensu Morycowa and Roniewicz 1990).

In the type material of the species E. conferta the corallites appear to be generally smaller than in the form E. maastrichtensis , which is apparently due to intense budding, in E. conferta . However, the range of corallite sizes overlap, therefore, in E. conferta the dimensions of the largest corallites correspond to the general corallite diameter in E. maastrichtensis , and the smallest ones in this form have the same diameter as the generally occurring corallites in E. conferta . Therefore, they are considered synonymous.

Type locality of species. Maastrichtian of The Netherlands (Limburg) .

Distribution. Maastrichtian of The Netherlands.