Lowridge Cactus Coral

Balanophyllia cedrosensis Durham, 1947

Balanophyllia cedrosensis Durham, 1947:40–41, pl. 11: figs. 3, 5.—Durham and Barnard, 1952:99, pl. 14: fig. 61a,b.

Balanophyllia tiburonensis Durham, 1947:41–42, pl. 10: figs. 5, 7 [new synonym].—Squires, 1959:423–426.

REDESCRIPTION OF HOLOTYPE.—Corallum poorly preserved, obviously dead when collected. Corallum ceratoid: 13.7 × 10.4 mm in calicular diameter and 16.4 mm in height, with a pedicel diameter of 6.2 mm. Costal granulation worn; intercostal striae almost as wide as costae and quite porous. A thin epitheca covers lower two-thirds of corallum. Septa hexamerally arranged in 5 cycles, the last cycle incomplete, the corallum having approximately 64 septa. S1–2 equal in size, porous near the theca, but solid on edge toward fossa. Inner edges of S1–2 vertical and straight, reaching the columella. S3 and S4 bear large pores, each pair of S4 fused before its adjacent S3 and continuing to the columella. Pairs of S5 present in some half-systems, each pair fused to their adjacent S4. Depth of fossa difficult to determine because of damage to corallum. Columella discrete, elongate, and spongy, the numerous columellar elements quite fine and fused to one another.

azooxanthellate

66-119 m