Asteroseris de Fromentel, 1867

Löser, Hannes, 2013, Revision of the family Asteroseriidae (Anthozoa, Scleractinia, Cretaceous), Geodiversitas 35 (1), pp. 21-29 : 26-27

Genus Asteroseris de Fromentel, 1867

TYPE SPECIES. — Stephanoseris coronula de Fromentel, 1863 by monotypy.

RANGE. — Aptian-Cenomanian.

DIAGNOSIS. — Solitary patellate corallum. Calicular outline circular. Septa compact. Microstructure of septa unknown. Septa in cross section externally slightly thicker, and slightly thinner towards the centre. Septal maximum thickness 250 µm. Symmetry of septa radial and regularly hexameral. Cycles of septa regular. Septal cycles differ in length, almost not in thickness. Septa of first cycle extended to the centre of the calice, later cycles are shorter. Septa of younger cycles often and regularly connected to septa of preceeding cycles. Septal upper margin unknown, lateral face occasionally with small thorns, inner margin unknown. Pali or paliform lobes absent. All septa of the first cycle are attached to the columella. Costae unknown. Synapticulae present. Columella formed by septal fusion in the centre of the calice. Endotheca unknown. Wall unknown.

Asteroseris coronula (de Fromentel, 1863) (Fig. 1J, K)

Stephanoseris coronula de Fromentel, 1863 : pl. 48, fig.3a-e.

Asteroseris coronula (v) – Alloiteau 1957: 339, text figs 230-232, pl. 3, figs 4, 5. — non Tchechmedjeva 1995: 63, pl. 13, fig. 7. — Löser 2013: 16, fig. 6a.

? Funginella ? isfahanensis – Yazdi et al. 2011: 229, pl. 1, figs 1a-e, 2, 3, pl. 2, figs 1-3.

DIMENSIONS. — MNHN.F.A49178, topotype, c = 5 mm, s = 48; BSP 2003 XX 4640, c = 8.7 mm, s = 48.

OCCURRENCES. — Early Albian (Mammillatum zone): France (Aude) Padern ( SMF 75576, 75617 , 75632 , 75639 , 75640 , 75651 , 75658 ) ;

(?) Late Albian: Kolah-Qazi section (Esfahan, Iran) ; Middle to Late Cenomanian: France (Sarthe), Le Mans (MNHN.F.A49178).

REMARKS

The type material is not available. The reference specimen is a thin section (MNHN.F.A49178) that was also used by Alloiteau (1957). The material described by Tchechmedjeva (1995) shows a parietal columella that contradicts the concept of the genus. This material may belong to Actinoseris . The material described by Yazdi et al. (2011) is poorly preserved; and their discussion on the systematic position of the new species is not based on type material. It is here preliminarily assigned to Asteroseris coronula .