Coral - Kodonophyllum

myminifactory

Silurian tabulate coral from Shropshire. Tabulata, commonly known as tabulate corals, are an order of extinct forms of coral that thrive in colonial communities, forming colonies of individual hexagonal cells known as corallites defined by a skeleton of calcite, resembling a honeycomb in appearance. Adjacent cells are linked together by small pores. Their defining feature is their well-developed horizontal internal partitions (tabulae) within each cell, accompanied by reduced or absent vertical internal partitions (septa). Typically, they are smaller than rugose corals but vary greatly in shape, from flat to conical to spherical. Approximately 300 species have been described. Among the most common tabulate corals in the fossil record are Aulopora, Favosites, Halysites, Heliolites, Pleurodictyum, Sarcinula, and Syringopora. Tabulate corals with massive skeletons often harbor endobiotic symbionts such as cornulitids and Chaetosalpinx.