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We ha ve found no other coral which agrees better to our specimen than BOURNE's B. cumingii and
SEMPER 's Rbodopsammia ovalis. After SEMPER the polyps are provided " mit gelben Tentakeln und
brillant orangefarbenem Mund ". FRICKE described the colour of the polyps as yellow with red oral discs.
Mater ial :
Northern R. S. : HLM Fri 78-3 (Ras Umm Sidd, 138 mi·
Dis t r ib uti 0 n : Red Sea ; Ceylon ; Philippines.
Rem ark s : If our identification proves correct, this is the first record of the species from the
Red Sea .
The taxonomic position of Balanopbyllia is in a poor state. Many of the so-called species are described
on the strength of a single or a limited number of specimens, and many are certainly only ecomorphs or
geographical variants. A revision of the genus is most desirable .
Genus Rbizopsa mmia VERRILL, 1869
T Y pes p e c i e s : Rbizopsammia pulcbra VERRI LL, 1869.
G e n e ric c h a r act e r s : Small colonies, formed by extra tentacular budding and by stolon-like
expansions, from which new corallites develop. Septa according to POURTALES plan, no paliform lobes,
columella spongy, wall porous.
Rbizopsammia wettsteini new spec.
(Plate 39. Figs. 1-4)
We have two specimens before us , which we adjoin with some hesitation to the ge nus Rbizopsammia.
Both are small colonies formed by extratentacular budding and with stolo ns bearing young corallites.
The corallites are about 10 mm high, the calices are almost round, 7 to 10 mm in diameter, the
largest calyx measuring 11.5 by 10 .5 mm . The corallites have a smaller diameter at their base.
Columella loosely packed and spongy. Septa in four complete cycles, fifth and sixth cycle incomplete.
Septa of the first two cycles almost identical, sloping downwards from the edge to the columella, which
makes the calices appear wide and open. Edges of first two cycle septa irregularly dentate or fra yed, only
in very few cases are the edges intact. Septa perforated. Sides covered with granules and striations vertically
to edge. Septa of higher orders are even more irregularly frayed and perforated . The quarternaries
unite beneath the short tertiaries and join the columella. Moreover, they are joined to the first and second
septa at the upper margin of the calxy by a spongy network of septa fringes , which makes these twelve
points appear thicker. This is particularly evident on the first cycle septa.
Costae, especially in the upper part of the coraUite, not clearly visible with numerous granules, often
forming reticular ridges, interspersed with numero us perforations.
PW 73 614- 1 consists of a principal calyx with two secondary calices o n one side. Two ribbed stolons
branch out from this colony, one of which has developed a daughter corallite at the end, the upper
portion of which is missing. Some specimens of Polycyatbus [uscomarginatus settle on the substrate
supporting the colony.
PW 73 614- 2 is also a small colony comprising three corallites with two stolons, each with a small
daughter coraHite.
The most strik ing features of R. wettsteini are the porosity and sponginess of the coral and its wide
open calices.
Materia l:
Gulf of Aqaba: Basel PW 73614-1,2 (Eilat).
Rem a rk s : Rbizopsammia wettsteini is named after the late Peter WETTSTEIN, who collected
corals in the Gulf of Aqaba as part of Prof. HOTTINGER 's work on Foraminifera in 1971 and 1973 . His
accidental death occurred in December 1975 before he could complete t he identification of his corals.