FELIXARAEIDAE Beauvais, 1982

Löser, Hannes, 2013, Revision of the family Felixaraeidae (Scleractinia; Cretaceous), Geodiversitas 35 (4), pp. 747-765 : 750

Family FELIXARAEIDAE Beauvais, 1982

DIAGNOSIS. — Corals of various organisation types (astreoid, phaceloid, solitary, thamnasterioid) with generally large calices (> 5 mm). Radial elements composed of large trabeculae, with very thick septa in the first septal generations. Radial elements perforated, mainly in septa of younger generations. Septal upper border with coarse granules, septal lateral faces smooth or with thorns. Costae present. Synapticulae abundant and strong. Endotheca varies from genus to genus; it may be absent or very well developed. Columella generally present, parietal.

GENERA OF THE FAMILY. — Brachycaulia Beauvais, 1982 , Cretastraea Kühn in Kühn & Andrusov, 1930 (junior objective synonym of Pseudofavia ), Felixaraea Beauvais, 1982 , Filkornia Löser, 2012 , Marcelohelia n. gen., Paracycloseris Wells, 1934 , Pseudofavia Oppenheim, 1930 , Thecoseriopsis Alloiteau, 1952 , Trechmannaria Wells, 1935 .

RANGE. — Late Turonian to?Danian. The first indication ( Pseudofavia paronai ), dated as Turonian, is not well constrained. The last occurrence is similarly not well constrained; the family ranges into the Maastrichtian, but extension into the Danian is questionable.

SYSTEMATIC POSITION

The position of the family within the Fungiina is questionable. As mentioned by Morycowa & Roniewicz (1995), the suborder Fungiina collects different families that are characterized only by porous radial elements and the presence of synapticulae. Fungiina sensu stricto are corals with synapticular bars (fulturae aucct.), which are found, for instance, in the Asteroseriidae and Fungiidae . Synapticular bars are absent in Felixaraeidae , and therefore the position of this family within the suborder Fungiina is preliminary.

Baron-Szabo (2008) included the family in the synonymy of the family Haplaraeidae . The Haplaraeidae differs from the Felixaraeidae by having radial elements that are very regular in thickness (all septal generations have the same thickness) and only perforated at their inner margins (based on observations of the type of the type species, Haplaraea elegans Milaschewitsch, 1876 , SMNS 21874).

COMPARISON

Very strong radial elements and the presence of synapticulae are also observed in the Late Cretaceous family Lamellofungiidae Alloiteau, 1952 . The family currently encompasses only the type genus Lamellofungia Alloiteau, 1952 . The genus Lamnastrea Reig-Oriol, 1997 may also belong to this family. The members of this family differ from those of the Felixaraeidae by having radial elements with spare pores at the inner margins.

REMARKS

The porosity of the radial elements appears irregular. It seem that both, older and younger septal generations are regularly perforated but the size of pores may vary within the same specimen resulting that almost compact to regularly perforated radial elements occur together. This feature can be observed in almost all specimens. Only Filkornia seems to have more compact septa.