Paraclausastrea vorarlbergensis, Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2015

Baron-Szabo, Rosemarie C., 2015, Paraclausastrea vorarlbergensis sp. nov.; a new coral from the Lower Cretaceous of western Austria (Scleractinia; upper Barremian-lower Aptian; Schrattenkalk Fm.; Vorarlberg), Zootaxa 4032 (3), pp. 327-332 : 331

Paraclausastrea vorarlbergensis , sp. nov.

Plate 1, Figs. A–I

Holotypus. VNS. P.25192, designated here.

Derivatio nominis. Refers to the location from which the material was collected (Vorarlberg, Austria).

Locus typicus. Brandalpe, Kuhberg, Vorarlberg, Austria.

Stratum typicum. Schrattenkalk Formation, upper Barremian-lower Aptian.

Diagnosis. Paraclausastrea with corallites having a diameter mainly ranging between 3 and 6.5 mm, 24–48 septa developed in 6 generally irregular systems, and 6–10 dissepiments in 2 mm.

Description. Massive colony with corallites that are mainly in thamnasterioid, sometimes submeandroid integration; cerio-thamnasterioid when corallites crowded. Occasionally, a small number of corallites (often 3–5) are arranged in short meandroid series. Budding mainly intracalicular, extracalicular in a small number of places. Corallite center free or occupied by lamellar to sublamellar or irregularly shaped trabecular portion that are free or fused with one or more axial edges of septa. Up to 9 septa reach the corallite center. Septa are generally developed in 3 complete or 4 incomplete cycles in 6 generally irregular systems (often 24–30 septa). In a small number of corallites that are around 6 mm in diameter, 4 complete septal cycles are present (=48). In corallites that are around 2 mm in diameter, usually between 12 and 18 septa occur. Septal flanks have carinae and rounded granulae that are raised above the surface 50–200 µm.

Dimensions. Corallite diameter: 3–6.5 mm, in areas of intense budding often ranging between 1.8–2.5 mm; distance of corallite centers in both thamnasterioid and submeandroid integration: 2–8 mm; number of septa: (12) 24 to 48; number of septa/mm: 5–6/2; intertrabecular distance: 200 and 1000 µm; density of endotheca: 6–10 dissepiments/ 2 mm; length of lamellar to sublamellar columellar segments: 300–1000 µm.

Comparison. In having a larger number of both septa and endothecal dissepiments, the new species differs from P. pulchra MORYCOWA & MASSE, 1998. In P. pulchra , the number of septa is 21–26 and there are 7–9 dissepiments in 5 mm. In having a smaller distance between corallite centers and a larger number of endothecal dissepiments, the new species differs from P. valclusensis MORYCOWA & MASSE, 1998. In P. valclusensis , the distance between corallite centers ranges between 5.5 and 11 mm and the number of endothecal dissepiments is 8– 10 in 5 mm.

Material. No additional material.