Preview
Accession Number
PEH.326P.A.a
Geological Time Period
Paleocene to Modern
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Subphylum
Anthozoa
Subclass
Hexacorallia
Order
Scleractinia
Suborder
Scleractinia
Family
Meandrininidae
Genus
Meandrina
Species
M. meandrites
Physical Characteristics
The specimen is white with tints of green. It looks like a maze with septa on the sides of the 'maze' wall.
Description
Miami Beach, Florida; The Order Scleractinia, also known as hexacorals, have about 600 genera staring in the Middle Triassic. The origin of this group is controversial, some think that diverged from surviving rugosids from the extinction in Late Permian and others suggest that the Order Scleractinia came from another anemone that cannot be fossilized. Scleractinians formed small reefs and diversified by Late Triassic. Hexacorals are known for having six primary septa with 60° separations. Meandrina meandrites are distinctive for their deep valleys and their tan to yellow-brown to brown coloring. M. meandrites colonies are usually circular but larger colonies can be irregular and found between 3 and 35 m deep. Sometimes larger colonies are in shallower waters, exposed to more turbidity. Colonies can be either hermaphrodite (male and female gametes) or gonotropic (female gametes). There are a variety of fertilization methods including self-fertilization, cross-fertilization, and external fertilization. The species meandrites was the first species of the genus described. They are known to be nocturnally active, suspension feeders, and defend with nematocytes.
Number of Pieces
2
Resources
https://youtu.be/2W6UMhF3vnY?si=OfOKFoiXZXMHdZYbhttps://repository.naturalis.nl/pub/504110/BD1980050001005.pdf
Fossil ID References
IUCN. (2008). Meandrina meandrites: Aronson, R., Bruckner, A., Moore, J., Precht, B. & E. Weil: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T133224A3640365 [dataset]. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133224A3640365.enMcFarlane, I. D. (1978). Multiple Conducting Systems and the Control of Behaviour in the Brain Coral Meandrina meandrites (L.). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 200(1139), 193–216.Pinzón, J. H. C., & Weil, E. (2011). Cryptic Species Within the Atlantic-Caribbean Genus Meandrina (Scleractinia): A Multidisciplinary Approach and Description of the New Species Meandrina jacksoni. Bulletin of Marine Science, 87(4), 823–853. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2010.1085
Measurements (cm.)
9
Ursinus Acquisition Date
5-31-2007
Donor
Dr. E Lee Porter
