Heteropsammia
Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 89
Type Species
H. michelinii Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848, p. 89, no fig.; Monotypy
Type Specimen: Holotype; MNHN 1080; Verified; Dry Preserved
Type Locality: Recent: Wanpoa, China
Type species best described by Hoeksema and Best (1991); extended synonymy also included.=H. cochlea (Spangler, 1781).
Classification
Diagnosis
Corallum solitary and colonial (up to 40 corallites), always attached to a gastropod or scaphopod shell inhabited by a sipunculid worm; synapticulotheca ridged; Pourtalès plan present; paliform lobes may be present; columella spongy; azooxanthellate and zooxanthellate, depending on depth.
Remarks
This genus and family were monographed by Cairns (2001), which included a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology. The three species, one of which has a fossil record, are best described and discussed by Hoeksema and Best (1991).
This page has been in preparation since 08-Oct-2008 15:21
This version was contributed by Stephen D. Cairns on 30-Oct-2008 14:53.
Page authors are: Stephen D. Cairns Jarek Stolarski. Please contact the editor if you would like to contribute to the diagnosis of this taxon.
The editor is: Stephen D. Cairns
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