Solenastrea hyades Coral Fossil 1.JPG

Solenastrea hyades Coral Fossil

Middle Caloosahatchee Beds, Florida
Plio-Pleistocene Period (5,000,000-12,000 Years Ago)
This species forms fairly small and inconspicuous domes, usually fairly smooth overall, but sometimes with bumps. Calices are slightly plocoid, each well separated and with a slightly raised rim. Colonies usually grow on sandy bottoms and like shaded, low visibility habitats. They are usually yellow, cream or pale brown. Corallites are small and usually have darker centres.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa Subclass: Zoantharia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Faviidae
Genus: Solenastrea
Species: hyades