Halysitastraea

Geyer, 1968: 19

Type Species

Halysitastraea colombiana Geyer, 1968: 19, text-fig. 4 a,b; ; pl. 2, fig. 3a-c; Monotypy Geyer, 1968: 19

Type Specimen: Holotype; S 813; Not Traced; Unknown

Type Locality: Arroyo Parasimaha, N. Arunapas, Sierra Cocinas, Columbia. Early Kimmeridgian, Late Jurassic

Stuttgart Geol. Paläontol. Institut Museum, no S 813

Diagnosis

Coralla composed of thin, parallel corallites linked by outgrowth into short chains. Septal order is radial-bilateral with a thick and long columellar septum and radially arranged remaining ones. Wall epithecal. Budding extracalicular (?).

Description

The type species was described by Geyer in 1968 and 1969.

Comparisons

In small corallite diameters the genus resembles Lochmaeosmilia, but has a different arrangement of septal apparatus. In arrangement of radial elements the genus resembles Cladophyllia or amphiastreid corals. It is not clear what is the role of skeletal parts linking the corallites in the chains. Geyer 1969 suggested that these are pockets from which new corallites developed (herein he introduced a new meaning of the term “Taschenknospung”, not related to that in Amphiastreidae). Similar structures containing prolongations of internal dissepiments, having no relation with the process of budding, are common in many Triassic phaceloid corals. The genus cannot be classified neither in Cladophylliidae nor Amphiastraeidae.

Distribution

• South America; Late Jurassic

This page has been in preparation since 18-Aug-2009 17:54

This version was contributed by Ewa Roniewicz on 20-Nov-2010 21:51.

Page authors are: Ewa Roniewicz. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.

The editor is: Bernard Lathuilière