Agathelia asperella , Reuss 1854

Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854

Pl. 21, fig. 3

v*1854 Agathelia asperella m: Reuss, p. 82, pl. 9, figs 10–12 (topotypes and neotype studied).

v1903 a Agathelia asperella Reuss 1854: Felix, p. 262, text-figs 30, 32.

1926 Agathelia urgonica n. sp.: Dietrich, p. 75, pl. 5, fig. 1, pl. 8, fig. 2.

1937a Agathelia asperella Reuss 1854: Bataller, p. 141.

v1975 Agathelia asperella Reuss: Beauvais & Beauvais, p. 567, text-fig. 1, fig. 2, text-fig. 2, figs 1, 2.

1987 Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854: Kuzmicheva, p. 81, pl. II, fig. 1.

v1982 Agathelia asperella Reuss 1854: Beauvais, vol 1, p. 44, pl. 61, fig. 7, pl. 62, figs 1, 2.

v1992 Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854: Eliàšovà, p. 405, pl. 6, fig. 1.

1994 Agathelia asperella Reuss: Liao & Xia, p. 69, pl. 5, text-figs 43a–c.

v1997 Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854: Baron-Szabo, p. 35, pl. 1, figs 1, 3, 5 (older synonyms cited therein). 2002 Agathelia asperella, Reuss 1854: Löser et al, p. 67.

v2000 Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854: Baron-Szabo, p. 108, pl. 4, fig. 4.

v2002 Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854: Baron-Szabo, p. 187, pl. 129, figs 3–5, pl. 130, figs 1–5.

2003 Agathelia asperella Reuss 1854: Götz, p. 5ff., pl. 1, fig. 3.

v2003 Agathelia asperella Reuss, 1854: Baron-Szabo, p. 118, pl. 3, figs 2, 5, 6, pl. 4, figs 2, 7, 8.

v2004 Agathelia asperella Reuss: Moosleitner, p. 174, 179, and 185, pl. 72, fig. 2, pl. 77, figs 2, 3, pl. 83, figs 1, 3.

Dimensions. d=3.5– 6 mm; d (juvenile)=1.5–2.5 mm; dl=2.5–4.5 mm; c-c=3–5.5 mm, in areas of intense budding distance is 2.5 mm; s=24–48 +s5; s (juvenile)=16–22.

Description. Massive, plocoid colony; calices often projecting, subcircular or elliptical in outline; costosepta arranged in 3 to 4 cycles in 6 systems; in some calices the beginning of a fifth cycle is present; S1 and S2 nearly equal in length and thickness, slightly alternating, extending to corallite centre; inner ends of S3 or S4 cuneiform or stretch out forming auriculae; columella lamellar to irregularly trabecular; wall is septothecal, in places parathecal.

Remarks. Some authors have merged the species Stylina turbinata Trautschold, 1886, from the Hauterivian of Ukraine, which was transferred to the genus Agathelia Reuss by Bendukidze (1961), with the species Agathelia asperella Reuss. While the form Stylina turbinata Trautschold shows close resemblance to the genus Agathelia Reuss, its specific characteristics clearly differ from A. asperella Reuss. According to the original description and illustration by Trautschold (1886, p. 124, pl. III, figs 1a–b), the form A. turbinata is characterized by a corallite diameter ranging from 5–6 mm and 24 septa, which seem to be arranged in 12 systems. In addition, in some corallites the number of septa appears to be distinctly smaller (ranging around 12). In A. asperella the septa are arranged in 6 systems and even in the most juvenile corallites the number of septa is larger than 12. Moreover, in corallites that are 5–6 mm in diameter the number of septa is often twice as large as in A. turbinata. Therefore, the latter species is excluded from the synonymy of A. asperella Reuss.

Type locality of species. Santonian of Austria (Gosau Group at Neffgraben).

Distribution. Berriasian-Valanginian of Tibet, Valanginian-Hauterivian of Crimea, Lower Aptian of Tanzania, Albian-Cenomanian of Tibet, Upper Cretaceous of Slovakia, Upper Cenomanian-Lower Turonian of the Czech Republic, (?Upper Turonian-) Lower Coniacian-Campanian of Austria (Gosau Group), Santonian of Armenia, Upper Santonian of Germany, Campanian-Maastrichtian of Spain, Middle-Upper Maastrichtian of the UAE / Oman border region.