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Heteropsammia

Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 89

Type Species

H. michelinii Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 89, no fig.; Monotypy

Type Specimen: Holotype; MNHN 1080; Verified; Dry Preserved

Type Locality: Recent: Wanpoa, China

Type species best described by Hoeksema and Best (1991); extended synonymy also included.=H. cochlea (Spangler, 1781).

Classification

Diagnosis

Corallum solitary and colonial (up to 40 corallites), always attached to a gastropod or scaphopod shell inhabited by a sipunculid worm; synapticulotheca ridged; Pourtalès plan present; paliform lobes may be present; columella spongy; azooxanthellate and zooxanthellate, depending on depth.

Remarks

This genus and family were monographed by Cairns (2001), which included a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology. The three species, one of which has a fossil record, are best described and discussed by Hoeksema and Best (1991).

This page has been in preparation since 08-Oct-2008 15:21

This version was contributed by Stephen D. Cairns on 27-Oct-2014 15:35.

Page authors are: Stephen D. Cairns Jarek Stolarski. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.

The editor is: Stephen D. Cairns


Heteropsammia cochlea, transverse section
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Heteropsammia cochlea, longitudinal cut
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Heteropsammia cochlea, calicular view
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Heteropsammia cochlea, side view
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