Trochocyathus speciosus ( Gabb & Horn, 1860 )

Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2008, Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina, Zootaxa 1952, pp. 1-244 : 56-57

Trochocyathus speciosus ( Gabb & Horn, 1860)

Pl. 4, figs 5a–c

*1860 Platytrochus speciosus n. sp.: Gabb & Horn, p. 399, pl. 69, figs 15–17.

1902 Trochocyathus speciosus (Gabb and Horn) : Vaughan, p. 207–209, figs 1–2a.

v1902 Trochocyathus epicharis n. sp.: Wanner, p. 99, pl. 14, figs 5–7.

v1933 Trochocyathus mississippiensis n. sp.: Wells, p. 134 (216), pl. 14, figs 22–23.

parsv1933 Trochocyathus gardnerae n. sp.: Wells, p. 135 (217), pl. 14, figs 8–10, non p. 135, paratype no. 4, non specimen no. 3 on page 136.

v1938 Trochocyathus kroisbachensis n. sp.: Traub, p. 36, pl. 1, figs 2a, b.

1941a Trochocyathus sp. cf. T. mississippiensis Wells : Wells, p. 295 (13).

1955 Deltocyathus staszici n. sp.: Rozkowska, p. 243, pl. 1, fig. 6, pl. 2, fig. 5, text-figs 1–3.

v1958 Trochocyathus lemniscatus n. sp.: Squires, p. 48, pl. 10, figs 11–15.

1958 Paratrochocyathus epicharis Wanner 1902 sp.: Alloiteau, p. 190.

?1958 Paratrochocyathus Jasmundi Wanner 1902 : Alloiteau, p. 190.

v1967 Trochocyathus(Protrochocyathus) kroisbachensis Traub : Kühn & Traub, p. 12, pl. 1, figs 5, 6, pl. 2, figs 4, 5.

1970 Paratrochocyathus epicharis (Wanner) : Hassan & Salama, p. 84, pl. 1, figs 5a, b.

1970 Paratrochocyathus lemniscatus (Squires) : Hassan & Salama, p. 85, pl. 1, figs 6a–c.

1970 Paratrochocyathus deniseptatus sp. nov.: Hassan & Salama, p. 85, pl. 2, figs 1a–g.

(v)1972 Trochocyathus johannesi sp. n.: Floris, p. 54, pl. 3, figs 4A–5.

1977 Trochocyathus gardnerae Wells, 1933 : Wolleben, p. 396, pl. 3, fig. 1.

(v)1987 Paratrochocyathus epicharis (Wanner 1902) : Kuzmicheva, p. 124, pl. 20, figs 7a, b.

(v)1987 Tethocyathus kopetdagensis Kuzmicheva , sp. nov.: Kuzmicheva. 124, pl. 20, figs 8a-9b,?pl. 21, figs 1, 2.

2000 Paratrochocyathus epicharis (Wanner 1902) : Löser, p. 60.

2000 Trochocyathus , gardnerae Wells 1933 : Löser, p. 82.

2002 Trochocyathus epicharis Wanner, 1902 : Baron-Szabo, p. 158.

2002 Trochocyathus gardnerae Wells, 1933 : Baron-Szabo, p. 158.

Dimensions. d (max)= 8–16 mm; d (min)= 6–10 mm; d(min)/d(max)=0.5–1; s (in juvenile corallites of 4–6 mm) up to around 40; s (adult)=48+s5; h= 3–20 mm.

Description. Subturbinate to variably conical; corallites circular in outline; costosepta arranged in 4 complete cycles in 6 systems; S 1 and S2 nearly equal, remaining septa alternate in length and thickness; paliform structures elongate.

Remarks. Vaughan (1902) transferred the species Platytrochus speciosus to the genus Trochocyathus . In his re-examination of the type material, Vaughan reported that this taxon was characterized by slightly elliptical, variably conical corallites with diameters ranging between 11.5 and 13.5 mm (greater diameter) and 10– 11 mm (lesser diameter) and 48 septa arranged in 6 systems. The same year, Wanner (1902) published the description of the species Trochocyathus epicharis from the Maastrichtian-Danian of Egypt which, according to his description, was characterized by short, turbinate-subpatellate (he called it “umbrella-like”) coralla of 7–12 mm in diameter and 48 septa arranged in 6 systems. Re-examination of recently re-discovered type material of the Wanner collection at the Rijksmuseum Stockholm revealed however, that 48 septa were only present in the largest corallites (= 10–12 mm in diameter), and that trochoid-ceratoid coralla were present in addition to the short turbinate type. Moreover, in corallites that were smaller than 10 mm in diameter, the number of septa was 40 or less. Therefore, T. epicharis is considered a junior synonym of T. speciosus . A very diameter. Re-examination of the type material showed that 48 septa were present in corallites that were around 12 mm in diameter. In corallites of around 15 or 16 mm in diameter, the number of septa was about 60, which corresponds to a septal development that would be expected in a slightly later ontogenetical stage. Therefore, Trochocyathus lemniscatus is considered a junior synonym of Trochocyathus speciosus .

In the original description, Traub (1938, p. 36) stated that his new species Trochocyathus kroisbachensis had the corallite diamter of 13 x 17 mm and 48 septa. Later, in Kühn & Traub (1967, p. 12) this statement was corrected in that the holotype was reported to be only 7.5 x 9.5 mm (and the paratype 9 x 11 mm). In addition, re-examination of the type specimen by the author of the current work revealed that the number of septa in the holotype was slightly less than 48 (around 44), and therefore very closely agreed with the dimensions of T. speciosus .

The species Trochocyathus johannesi Floris is practically identical to the species T. epicharis , a statement which was even made by Floris (1972, p. 56) himself. According to Floris, the only difference from T. epicharis (and also Trochocyathus mississippiensis Wells, 1941a , see synonmy list above) is in the bowl-shaped corallum of the latter. As already noted above, the type collection of Trochocyathus epicharis consists of specimens that have various corallum types, which is also one of the characteristics of T. speciosus .

Because the species Deltocyathus staszici Rozkowska from the Upper Danian of Poland seems to be lacking pali before the last cycles, it differs from the genus Deltocyathus , but agrees with the genera Trochocyathus and Paracyathus Milne Edwards & Haime. In the latter genus the pali are often indistinguishable from the columella , whereas in Deltocyathus staszici they can be well distinguished; therefore, the latter species seems to be more closely related to Trochocyathus . With a skeletal structure of 36 septa developed in 6 systems in a corallite 4.2 mm in diameter, it closely corresponds to the juvenile stages of the forms listed in the synonymy of T. speciosus .

The species Tethocyathus kopetdagensis Kuzmicheva from the Upper Danian of Turkmenistan is characterized by 48 septa in corallites 10–12 mm in diameter. Because the generic separation of Tethocyathus from Trochocyathus does not seem to be valid (see discussion regarding the genus Tethocyathus in Remarks above), the species is considered to be identical to T. speciosus .

Based on measurements carried out by the author, it can be stated that all of the above listed forms are characterized by a remarkably large number of septa, ranging between 36 and 40, in corallites that are between 4 and 6 mm in diameter.

Type locality of species. Paleocene ( Midwayan ) of the USA (Hardeman County, Tennessee) .

Distribution. Campanian of Cuba, Maastrichtian-Danian of Egypt, Santonian-Maastrichtian (Mississippi, Texas, Navarro Formation) and Paleocene (Hardeman County, Tennessee) of the USA, Maastrichtian of Mexico (Parras Basin), Maastrichtian of Tunisia (see Alloiteau, 1958, p. 190),?Upper Maastrichtian of Madagascar, Paleocene of Austria, Danian of Denmark ( Greenland), Upper Danian of Poland and Turkmenistan, Middle Eocene of New Zealand.

New Material. Danian of Egypt, NRM-PZ, sample nos.: Cn 47522 and 47525–47531 (Babel Jasmund).