Pleurocora haueri : Milne Edwards & Haime 1848

Pleurocora haueri Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848

Text-Fig. 24

v*1848d Pleurocora Haueri: Milne Edwards & Haime, p. 312 (topotypes studied).

v1854 Pleurocora Haueri M. Edw. et H.: Reuss, p. 112, pl. 6, figs 26–27 (topotypes studied).

1857 Pleurocora Haueri: Milne Edwards, vol. 2, p. 603.

v1903 a Pleurocora Haueri M. Edwards et J. Haime: Felix, p. 267 (topotypes studied).

1909 Oculina Nordenskjöldi nov. sp.:Felix, p. 11, pl. 1, figs 12–13.

1914 Pleurocora Haueri E. H. 1849: Felix, pars 7, p. 172.

1914 Oculina Nordenskjöldi Felix 1909: Felix, pars 7, p. 232.

1972 O. nordenskjoldi Felix, 1909: Floris, p. 37.

v1994? Oculina nordenskjoeldi (Felix, 1909): Filkorn, p. 71, figs 26 (1–4) (older synonyms cited therein).

v1999 Pleurocora cf. alternans Milne-Edwards & Haime, 1849: Baron-Szabo, p. 455, pl. 3, fig. 2.

2000 Pleurocora nordenskjoldi, Felix 1909: Löser, p. 56.

2000 Pleurocora haueri, Milne-Edwards & Haime 1849: Löser, p. 66.

2002 Pleurocora haueri Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848: Baron-Szabo, p. 106.

Text-Fig. 24 Pleurocora haueri Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848d, Campanian-Maastrichtian of Antarctica (syntype of Oculina Nordenskjˆldi Felix, 1909, NRZ Cn94), cross view, oblique, polished surface, scale bar: 5 mm (from Filkorn 1994, see full reference in Reference list; copyright 1994 by the American Geophysical Union; reproduced by permission of American Geophysical Union).

Dimensions. d = 5–7 mm, juveniles around 3.5 mm; s=32–48

Description. Subdendroid colony; costosepta developed in 4 incomplete or complete cycles in 6 systems; pali occur in front of oldest cycle, usually fuse with the columella; columella trabecular, irregularly papillose or made of twisted segments.

Remarks. The systematic position of Oculina Nordenskjöldi Felix has been dicussed for nearly a century. In the original description even Felix himself expressed some doubts about the assignment of the syntypes to the genus Oculina. Filkorn (1994, figs 26 [1–2]) gave the first photographic illustration of the syntypes. He also expressed doubts about the grouping with Oculina. As previously pointed out by Filkorn, characteristics of the species include compact to subcompact septa, development of synapticulothecal (septothecal in places) wall and pali, as well as a trabecular columella which is irregularly papillose or fused, forming twisted segments.. Therefore, the assignment to the genus Pleurocora is suggested.

Type locality of species. Turonian-Campanian of Austria (Gosau Group).

Distribution. Turonian-Campanian of Austria (Gosau Group), Campanian-Maastrichtian of Antarctica (Seymour Island, Snow Hill Island).