Merulinidae

Verrill, 1865, p. 146

The oft-cited Verrill, 1866, is not the first use of the family Merulinidae. The name appeared one year earlier in an extract (Verrill, A.E., Classification of polyps: Extract condensed from a synopsis of the polypi of the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, under Captains Ringgold and Rodgers, U.S.N.. Proceedings of the Essex Institute, 4, 145–152).

Synonyms

• Pectiniidae Vaughan and Wells, 1943, p. 196
• Trachyphylliidae Verrill, 1901, p. 84

Diagnosis

Colonial, with intra- and/or extracalicular budding; attached or free-living. Corallites monomorphic or polymorphic; monticules may be present. Corallites discrete (1–3 mouths), uniserial or organically united. Walls fused, or with varying amount of coenosteum that may be costate or spinose. Calice of varying width (< 4 mm to >15 mm) and relief (< 3 mm to > 6 mm). Costosepta may be confluent. Septa in varying number of cycles. Free septa may be present, regular or irregular. Septal spacing varies (< 6 to >11 septa per 5 mm). Costosepta may be equal or unequal in relative thickness. Columellae of varying sizes relative to calice width, and may be trabecular or lamellar; continuous or discontinuous among adjacent corallites. Paliform (uniaxial) lobes may be weak/moderate or well developed. Septal (multiaxial) lobes may be present. Epitheca and endotheca development vary among species. Tooth base at mid-calice circular. Tooth tip at mid-calice irregular; tip orientation perpendicular or multiaxial. Tooth height low (< 0.3 mm) or medium (0.3–0.6 mm). Tooth spacing narrow (< 0.3 mm) or medium (0.3–1.0 mm). Number of teeth per septum varies among species. Granules aligned or scattered on septal face; generally irregular in shape. Interarea smooth, palisade or with horizontal bands. Synapticulotheca absent. Septotheca, abortive septa, trabeculotheca and paratheca development varies among taxa. Thickening deposits fibrous without forming concentric rings. Costa centre clusters generally weak; ≤ 0.6 mm between clusters; medial lines present. Septum centre clusters weak or not distinct; ≤ 0.5 mm between clusters; medial lines present. Perpendicular crosses may be present. Columella centres clustered or aligned.

Contains

• Antiguastrea Vaughan, 1919, p. 401
• Astrea Lamarck, 1801, p. 371
• Australogyra Veron and Pichon, 1982, p. 138
• Boninastrea Yabe and Sugiyama, 1935, p. 402
• Caulastraea Dana, 1846, p. 197
• Coelastrea Verrill, 1866, p. 32
• Cyphastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 494
• Dipsastraea Blainville, 1830, p. 338
• Echinopora Lamarck, 1816, p. 252
• Erythrastrea Scheer and Pillai, 1983, p. 104
• Favites Link, 1807, p. 162
• Goniastrea Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 495
• Hydnophora Fischer von Waldheim, 1807, p. 295
• Leptoria Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 493
• Merulina Ehrenberg, 1834, p. 328
• Mycedium Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851, p. 130
• Nefocoenia Oppenheim, 1930, p. 418
• Neocoenia Hackemesser, 1936, p. 24
• Orbicella Dana, 1846, p. 205
• Oulophyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 492
• Paragoniastrea Huang, Benzoni, and Budd, 2014
• Paramontastraea Huang and Budd, 2014
• Pectinia Blainville, 1825, p. 201
• Phacellocoenia Alloiteau and Tissier, 1958
• Physophyllia Duncan, 1884, p. 118
• Platygyra Ehrenberg, 1834, p. 323
• Scapophyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 492
• Trachyphyllia Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 492

This page has been in preparation since 02-Oct-2009 17:15

This version was contributed by Danwei Huang on 04-Sep-2013 10:10.

Page authors are: Ann Budd Danwei Huang. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.

The editor is: Ann Budd