Quick Identification Gallery

Taxononomic Index

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Cnidaria

Class Anthozoa

We would like to thank Dr. Hannes Löser, who is an expert on Mesozoic corals, for getting our coral classification up-to-date.  Many thanks Hannes!

Subclass Hexacoralla (Hexacorals)

  Order Scleractinia

    Suborder Fungiina

      Family Micrabaciidae

        Micrabacia hilgardi Stephenson  (Delaware)

       Family Thamnasteriidae

        Mesomorpha cf. punctata (de Fromentel)   (Texas)

  Suborder Caryophylliina

       Family Caryophyllidae

         Coelosmilia texana (Conrad)  (Texas) 

       Family Parasmiliidae

         Dasmosmilia reesidei Wells  (Mississippi)

         Parasmilia graysonensis Wells  (Texas) 

   Suborder Astraeoida

      Family Cryptocoeniidae

         Cryptocoenia bulgarica (Toula)  (Texas) 

      Family Faviidae

         Heliastrea roemeriana (Wells)  (Texas) 

      Family Columastraeidae

         Columastrea guadalupae Wells  (Texas) 

• See:  Wells, J. W.  1933.  Corals of the Cretaceous of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and Western Interior of the United States.  Bulletins of American Paleontology 18 (67).

• See also:  Loeser, H.  1992.  The Current Systematics of Scleractinia.  Fossil Cnidaria & Porifera Newsletter 21 (1.1).