Fistuliramus, Astrova, 1960

Ernst, Andrej, 2016, Bryozoan fauna from the Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian) Zhongba Formation of southwestern Tibet, Palaeontologia Electronica (1946) 51 (9), pp. 1-59 : 9

Genus FISTULIRAMUS Astrova, 1960

Type species. Fistuliramus sinensis Astrova, 1960 . Upper Silurian (Ludlowian); Arctic Urals, Russia .

Diagnosis. Branched colonies; secondary overgrowths common. Autozooecia long, subcircular in transverse section of endozone; isolated by vesicular skeleton in exozones. Autozooecial apertures rounded to oval, usually arranged in regularly alternating longitudinal rows; maculae absent or poorly developed. Autozooecial diaphragms present in both in endozones and exozones, usually abundant. Lunaria in outer endozones and exozones, consisting of granular material, well-developed. Vesicles in long blisters in endozones, becoming more subquadrate in the transition region, decreasing in height in outer exozones. Autozooecial walls thin, granular in endozones; with thick laminated lining in exozones.

Remarks. Fistuliramus Astrova, 1960 differs from the similar genus Fistulipora M’Coy, 1849 in having constantly ramose colony form and monticules with a ring of larger autozooecia. Eofistulipora Morozova, 1959 differs from Fistuliramus in absence of vesicular skeleton in endozone and less abundant diaphragms in exozones.

Occurrence. Silurian–Permian; worldwide.