Astraeomorpha Reuss, 1854

Vasseur, Raphaël & Lathuilière, Bernard, 2021, Pliensbachian corals from the Western Tethys, Geodiversitas 43 (22), pp. 1187-1291 : 1198

Genus Astraeomorpha Reuss, 1854

SPECIES ORIGINALLY INCLUDED. — A. goldfussi Reuss, 1854 and A. crassisepta Reuss, 1854 .

TYPE SPECIES. — A. crassisepta Reuss, 1864 , designation byVaughan & Wells (1943). Strangely, these authors used the term monotypy but cited the two initial nominal species of the genus that they considered as subjective synonyms.

REMARKS

According to Roniewicz (1989) the genus is morphologically and microstructurally close to Parastraeomorpha Roniewicz, 1989 that differs in the lack of meniana and development of thick synapticulae, and horizontal axes of synapticulae whilst oblique in Astraeomorpha .

Initially only known in the Triassic of the Tethyan realm, the biostratigraphic distribution of this genus is here extended up to the Pliensbachian (Liassic).

The genus differs from Periseris Ferry, 1870 that shows a more pronounced trabecular structure providing teeth along the pennular edges. Septa are longer and more numerous in Periseris and the curved-upward pennulae are often visible in transverse section.