Flabellum is a genus of marine corals belonging to the family Flabellidae. These are a diverse group of azooxanthellate corals with about 190 species, 47 of which are extant. They are exclusively solitary corals and many are deep water species.
Description
Corals in this genus are solitary, erect and flattened, with a short, thick peduncle and a long elliptical, slightly curved calyx. The costae are indistinct, simple and flat. The septa are in five complete cycles and are narrow, closely packed, slightly sinuous, and covered with projecting granules.
Fossil record
Fossils of Flabellum are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous until the Quaternary (age range: from 66.043 to 0.012 million years ago.). Fossils are known from various localities in Europe, North America and Australia.
Species
The following species are considered to belong to the genus Flabellum:
Subgenus Flabellum (Flabellum) <small>Lesson, 1831</small>
- Flabellum angustum <small>Yabe & Eguchi, 1942</small>
- Flabellum arcuatile <small>Cairns, 1999</small>
- Flabellum areum <small>Cairns, 1982</small>
- Flabellum atlanticum <small>Cairns, 1979</small>
- Flabellum australe <small>Moseley, 1881</small>
- Flabellum campanulatum <small>Holdsworth, 1862</small>
- Flabellum chunii <small>Marenzeller, 1904</small>
- Flabellum cinctutum <small>Cairns & Polonio, 2013</small>
- Flabellum curvatum <small>Moseley, 1881</small>
- Flabellum flexuosum <small>Cairns, 1982</small>
- Flabellum floridanum <small>Cairns, 1991</small>
- Flabellum folkesoni <small>Cairns, 1998</small>
- Flabellum gardineri <small>Cairns, 1982</small>
- Flabellum impensum <small>Squires, 1962</small>
- Flabellum knoxi <small>Ralph & Squires, 1962</small>
- Flabellum lamellulosum <small>Alcock, 1902</small>
- Flabellum magnificum <small>Marenzeller, 1904</small>
- Flabellum ongulense <small>Eguchi, 1965</small>
- Flabellum patens <small>Moseley, 1881</small>
- Flabellum pavoninum <small>Lesson, 1831</small>
- Flabellum politum <small>Cairns, 1989</small>
- Flabellum thouarsii <small>Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848</small>
- Flabellum transversale <small>Moseley, 1881</small>
- Flabellum vaughani <small>Cairns, 1984</small>
Subgenus Flabellum (Ulocyathus) <small>M. Sars, 1851</small>
- Flabellum alabastrum <small>Moseley in Thomson, 1873</small>
- Flabellum angulare <small>Moseley, 1876</small>
- Flabellum aotearoa <small>Squires, 1964</small>
- Flabellum apertum <small>Moseley, 1876</small>
- Flabellum conuis <small>Moseley, 1881</small>
- Flabellum daphnense <small>Durham & Barnard, 1952</small>
- Flabellum deludens <small>Marenzeller, 1904</small>
- Flabellum hoffmeisteri <small>Cairns & Parker, 1992</small>
- Flabellum japonicum <small>Moseley, 1881</small>
- Flabellum lowekeyesi <small>Squires & Ralph, 1965</small>
- Flabellum macandrewi <small>Gray, 1849</small>
- Flabellum marcus <small>Keller, 1974</small>
- Flabellum marenzelleri <small>Cairns, 1989</small>
- Flabellum messum <small>Alcock, 1902</small>
- Flabellum moseleyi <small>Pourtalès, 1880</small>
- Flabellum sexcostatum <small>Cairns, 1989</small>
- Flabellum tuthilli <small>Hoffmeister, 1933</small>
References