Genus Spongiocoenia n. gen.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 41CED0DF-4 AD 3-4F29-BBFA-55A99C480CA3

TYPE SPECIES. — Coccophyllum liasicum Turnšek & Geyer in Turnšek, Seyfried & Geyer, 1975.

DIAGNOSIS. — Colonial massive or ramose colony with calices separated by a porous coenosteum. Spine-like, smooth septa. Columella and endotheca absent. Synapticulothecal wall. Extracalicular budding.

ETYMOLOGY. — Refers to the spongious nature of the coenosteum. Turnšek & Geyer (inTurnšek et al. 1975) placed their species within the genus Coccophyllum Reuss, 1865, family Stylophyllidae Frech 1890 (in fact they attribute erroneously the family to Volz 1896). Coccophyllum is a cerioid genus and we cannot place the present genus within the family Stylophyllidae with the capacity to produce such a spongious coenosteum, which recalls more non-scleractinian corals like Plagiosolenacis Alloiteau, 1957 and Paleomillepora Gabilly & Lafuste, 1957. Turnšek et al. (1975) noticed the proximity with Helioporid octocorallians.