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.