Faksephyllia

Paleoenvironment of Faksephyllia

Representatives of the genus Faksephyllia occurred in shallow- to deep-water environments:

- Specimens of Faksephyllia have been reported from carbonate rocks of both low-energy rocky to gravelly shores and low-energy shallow subtidal lagoonal areas (Lower Oligocene of Austria; see SANDERS & BARON- SZABO, 2007); Faksephyllia occurred in association with scleractinians such as the colonial genera Acropora, Actinacis, Agathiphyllia, Cladocora, Colpophyllia, Pavona, and Stylocoenia.

- Specimens of Faksephyllia were recorded forming coral thickets/coral mounds in depths of 50–80 m (e.g., Danian of Greenland; see FLORIS, 1972; BERNECKER & WEIDLICH, 1990); Faksephyllia occurred in association with scleractinians such as the colonial genera Dendrophyllia and? Lophelia, and solitary genera such as Bathycyathus, Caryophyllia, Desmophyllum, Flabellum, Parasmilia, Stephanocyathus, Trochocyathus, and Wellsotrochus.

- Faksephyllia was found in basin reefs at a suggested paleodepth of 100–300 m (“cold and deep-water coral bioherms”, Danian of Denmark; see e.g., BERNECKER & WEIDLICH, 2005); Faksephyllia occurred in association with scleractinians such as the colonial genera Dendrophyllia and Oculina, and solitary genera such as Cyathoceras (= Crispatotrochus), Discocyathus, Parasmilia, and Smilotrochus.

- Material grouped with Faksephyllia was reported from offshore environments (Danian of Greenland; see FLORIS, 1972); Faksephyllia occurred in association with scleractinians such as the colonial genera Dendrophyllia and Oculina, and solitary genera such as Caryophyllia and Flabellum.

- Faksephyllia was found in open platform shallow-water, partially reef-building environments (“morphotype 7” sensu TRAGELEHN [1996], Paleocene of Austria; see BARON- SZABO, 2008); Faksephyllia occurred in association with scleractinians of various “morphotypes” (sensu TRAGELEHN, 1996) some of which are here identified as the colonial genera Acropora, Actinacis, Astreopora, and Pachygyra.