Actinhelia elegans

Pl. 8, figs 7a, b, 8

v1820 Milleporites cellulosus Linn.: Schlotheim, p. 363.

v*1826 Astrea elegans: Goldfuss, vol. 1, p. 69, pl. 23, fig. 6.

1850 Actinhelia elegans: d'Orbigny, p. 278.

1881 Astrea elegans Goldfuss sp. (minor): Quenstedt, p. 856, pl. 176, fig. 53.

1914 Actinohelia elegans Goldfuss sp. 1826: Felix, pars 7, p. 234.

1925 Actinohelia elegans Goldfuss sp.: Umbgrove, p. 112, pl. 11, fig. 29.

1999 Actinhelia elegans: Leloux, p. 193, fig. 2.

2000 Actinhelia elegans (Goldfuss, 1826): Löser, p. 7.

v2002 Actinhelia elegans (Goldfuss, 1826): Baron-Szabo, pl. 69, fig. 4, pl. 70, fig. 1.

v 2003 Actinhelia elegans (Goldfuss, 1826): Schafhauser et al., p. 190.

2005 Actinhelia elegans (Goldfuss, 1826): Filkorn, p. 124, fig. 2i.

v2006 Actinhelia elegans (Goldfuss, 1826): Baron-Szabo et al., p. 21, figs 5.9, 5.10.

Dimensions. d=1.5– 2 mm; d (juvenile); around 1 mm; c-c=1.8–2.2 mm; s=16 + s (8s1 + 8s2+s)

Description. Colonial, massive, cerioid or subplocoid; gemmation extracalicinal and intracalicinal; costosepta compact with rare pores, confluent or nonconfluent, arranged in 2 complete cycles in 8 systems; septal flanks finely granulated; anastomosis common; corallites directly united by a common wall or separated by a vermiculate coenosteum; columella trabecular or absent; endothecal and perithecal dissepiments thin, vesicular; wall synapticulothecal and septoparathecal with pores.

Remarks. Because the holotype of A. elegans is preserved as a steinkern, fine skeletal structures are present only in some places. Moreover, corallites that are in advanced stages of intracalicinal budding are much more frequent than they are in the Jamaican material. However, because both the holotype of A. elegans and the Jamaican specimens are characterized by the above given features of the genus Actinhelia and, in addition, show skeletal elements of the same dimensions, they are considered the same.

During a recent visit to the Natural History Museum in Paris material collected by Alloiteau from the Danian of France (Vigny) was studied by the author. Among these corals a specimen was found which closely corresponds to the taxon Actinhelia elegans.

Type locality of species. Maastrichtian of The Netherlands (St. Pietersberg).

Distribution. Maastrichtian of the Netherlands, Maastrichtian of Mexico (Ocozocuautla and Cardenas Formations), Middle-Upper Maastrichtian of Jamaica (new material), Danian of France (Vigny; unpublished data, Baron-Szabo, 2003).

New Material. Middle-Upper Maastrichtian of Jamaica, NMNH, Coates coll., sample nos.: 339a; 339b; 416; 562g-II (=Jerusalem Mountain Inlier); 485p; 496c-I; 500a; 501; 527e-II; J-66-31-14-II (=Ducketts Land Settlement); 533t; 533v (Shaw Castle, Maldon Formation); 589c (=probably Cambridge railway area); J3502a3 (=Point Flamstead).