Flabellum (coral)


Flabellum is a genus of marine corals belonging to the family Flabellidae. These are a diverse group of azooxanthellate corals with about 190 species, 47 of which are extant. They are exclusively solitary corals and many are deep water species.

Description

Corals in this genus are solitary, erect and flattened, with a short, thick peduncle and a long elliptical, slightly curved calyx. The costae are indistinct, simple and flat. The septa are in five complete cycles and are narrow, closely packed, slightly sinuous, and covered with projecting granules.

Fossil record

Fossils of Flabellum are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous until the Quaternary. Fossils are known from various localities in Europe, North America and Australia.

Species

The following species are considered to belong to the genus Flabellum:
Subgenus Flabellum Lesson, 1831
Subgenus Flabellum M. Sars, 1851