Margarosmilia ? sp.

(Fig. 38)

Margarosmilia ? sp. 1 – Vasseur 2018: 236-237, fig. 3.54.

STUDIED SAMPLES. — Two specimens: CPUN DA2905E1-2, CPUN DA2905E2-1. GEOGRAPHIC AND STRATIGRAPHIC RANGES. — Pliensbachian of Dades Valley ( High Atlas of Morocco).

DESCRIPTION

Phaceloid colony with huge subcircular calices often distorted by intracalicular budding. Radial elements are free, straight or curved, compact costosepta except in the most inner part of septa where septal trabeculae dissociate sometimes in the close elongated fossa but never produce a real columella. Lateral faces of septa hold pennula-like granules that alternate from one side to the other of one single septum, in accordance with the description of the genus Margarosmilia in Cuif (1975). A wavy mid-septal line seems to appear even if the poor preservation of the specimens does not allow a clear confirmation. Endotheca made of quite abundant thin vesicular dissepiments. Synapticulae not observed. An epicostal epitheca s.l. wraps the corallites.

Calicular diameter: 12 to 23 mm – Distance between calices centers: 25 to 40 mm – Septal density: 4 to 6 per 2 mm.

REMARKS

We place with doubt these specimens under the genus Margarosmilia because the poor preservation of the specimens does not allow to confirm the presence of a mid-septal line (even if some ghosts of these structures seem to exist) and because of the subcompact nature of the very inner edge of septa; however, this last character appears for us compatible with the structure described in Cuif (1975).