Smithicyathus? russakovi

Wrzołek, Tomasz, 2007, A revision of the Devonian rugosan phillipsastreid genus Smithicyathus, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52 (3), pp. 609-632 : 626

Smithicyathus? russakovi (Spasskiy and Kravtsov in

Besprozvannykh et al., 1975)

1975 Frechastraea russakovi sp. nov.; Spasskiy and Kravtsov (in Besprozvannykh et al. 1975): 63; pl. 15: 1.

Discussion.—This Eifelian species of Indigiro−Kolyma (Appendix 2: column “h”) fits the numerical criteria for Smithicyathus established above and might possibly represent an ancestral species of the genus. On the other hand it is with large septal number, broad tabularium and lack of intercorallite walls. These parameters, but also geographical and stratigraphical isolation of this species suggest for Smithicyathus? russakovi a dubious status within Smithicyathus . A continuous series of horseshoe dissepiments excludes it from the genus Frechastraea Scrutton, 1968 (type species: Cyathophyllum pentagonum Goldfuss, 1826 ). McLean (1994a: 71) suggested it might belong either to the genus Chuanbeiphyllum He, 1978 or to its older homeomorph.