Guembelastraea aff. guembeli ( Laube, 1865 )

Roniewicz, Ewa, 2011, Early Norian (Triassic) corals from the Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria, and the intra-Norian faunal turnover, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 56 (2), pp. 401-428 : 422

Guembelastraea aff. guembeli ( Laube, 1865)

Fig. 7A.

Material.—Fragments of colonies GBA 2009/019/5 and 24, with thin sections.

Measurements (in mm):

c−c s

2.5–4.0 40–50 (and more)

Remarks.—Colony cerioid, massive; corallites polygonal, lacking any columella. Septa thin, with rare pennules. The coral greatly resembles Carnian Guembelastraea guembeli ( Laube, 1865) from St. Cassian ( Laube 1865: 263, pl. 7: 2). From the early Norian Guembelastraea pamphyliensis Cuif, 1976 from the Taurus Mountains, Turkey, the taxon examined differs in two taxonomically important features: a weak development of septal pennules (in G. pamphylliensis densely covering the septal flanks) and, judging from the illustrations ( Cuif 1976: pl. 9: 2–4), in smaller corallite diameters.

Stratigraphic and geographic range.— Austria: Northern Calcareous Alps, Dachstein Plateau, north of Feisterscharte, early or middle Norian, deposits close to the horizon with Epigondolella cf. E. multidentata (Alaunian 1).