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Description of RM 97: Massive, ex panding as it grows from a narrower base. Surface level. Greater
diameter 17 cm, lesser 10 cm. Total height 10 cm. Corallites mono- ro trisromodaeal. Single corallites
20 ro 25 mm long, 10 ro 12 mm broad, 10 ro 12 mm deep . Wall (peritheca), excluding the septa, 3 ro 5 mm
thick, broader below than at the rop. Larger and smaller septa alternate, 7 ro 10 septa per cm length of
valley. Larger septa 0 .75 mm thi ck, 1 ro 1.5 mm exsert, those of the opposite sides usually fuse over the
wall and look continuous. On a large septum there are 6 ro 8 teeth, 1 ro 2 mm high, the uppermost vertical,
tips of teeth pointed . On the thin septa there are 6 ro 10 serrations. Sides of septa smooth. Columella
3 to 5 mm in diameter, composed of closely twisted trabeculae , which most of the major septa unite with.
Subsidiary septa turn rowards and fuse to the sides of the major ones. Adjacent centres of columella in
polycentric calices are linked by thin lacerated lamellae. Septa broader at the rop than below , a little
swollen at the wall . Wall and inside of calices with endothecal vesicles. At the periphery of the coraUum
co tae corresponding ro septa are visible.
Mate rial:
Central R. S.: HLM RM 97 (Wingate R.).
Berlin 2MB 7028,7029 (Wingate R., 15 - 22 m).
D is t rib uti 0 n : Red Sea. But probably more wide-spread when the synonymy is fully known .
R e m a rk s : KLUNZ ING ER has stated that the species is very near ro Isophyllia spinosa of the
Atlantic and West Indian waters. We have carefully compared our A. erythraea with a specimen of
I. sinu osa (= I. spinosa) from West Ind ies (Xl : 155- 4 of HLM ). The major distinctions are in the t hicker
wall and alternating swollen septa and larger teeth of the Red Sea species. MATIHAI (19 14) did not make
any reference ro t his species, though he (1928:236) stated that Isopbyllia erythraea of KLUNZING ER is
not an Isopbyllia but is more related ro Favia hirsuta (= A. echinata).
There are two other species that merit considerat ion here, viz Sympbyllia simplex CROSSLAND
(1948, 192 , pI. 7) and Acanthastrea billae WEL LS (1955, 15 , pI. 2, figs. 2, 3). S. simplex and A. billae
are more or less the sa me. A. erytbraea seems ro differ from these mainly in the polysromodaeal nature
of some of the corall ites, approach ing to a condition of Sympby llia. It is likely that all three species
mentioned here constitute a single species. But more material must be certainly studied ro settle the
synonymy.
Genus Blastomussa WELLS, 1968
T Y pes pee i e s: Bantamia merleti WELLS, 1961.
G e n e r ic c h a r ae t e r s : (adapted from WEL LS, 1968) Colonial, encrusting or phaceloid with
erect cylindrical branches, formed by extratentacular budding from edge zone. Septa srout, mussoid,
with a low rou nded lobate rooth.
HEAD (1978) divided the genus inro two subgenera, Blastomussa with phaceloid coralla and Ceriomorpba
with encrusting corall a. Th e genus is known ro have three species, all three are reported from the
present co ll ection.
Synopsis of Blastomussa from Red Sea :
A. Corallum branching, ph aceloid .
1. Corallites 5 ro 7 mm in diameter. Height of branches up ro 30 mm . Septa in two complete cycles
with a set of incompl ete tertiaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. B. merleti
2. Corall ites 9 ro 13 mm in diameter. Branches up to 50 mm high. Septa in three complete cycles
wit h an incomplete set of the fourth cycle. . ................... . .............. B. wellsi
B. Corallum encrusting, cerio id .
3. Calices range from 4 ro 8 mm in diameter. Corallu m often with gaps between the corallites ..... .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B. loyae
Blastomussa merleti (WELLS), 1961
(Plate 35 , Figs. S, 6 , 10, 11 )
Bantamia mer/eti 196 1. WELLS, 189; figs. 1- 4 (Type locality: New Caledonia),