27 6 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XXII, April 1968 
Part 6 
Further Note on Bantamia merle ti Wells 
Study of additional specimens of Bantamia 
merleti Wells 1961 sent by Dr. Catala shows 
that the writer’s assignment of this coral to a 
position near Galaxea was erroneous, and that 
a new genus of the Mussidae is involved. 
Family mussidae 
Genus Blastomussa gen. nov. 
Colonial ; colony formation by extratentacular 
budding from the edge-zone, producing small 
phaceloid tufts of erect cylindrical corallites. 
Corallite walls septothecal, costate, with narrow 
edge-zone and delicate epitheca. Septa stout, 
mussoid, composed of several fan systems each 
forming a low, rounded, lobulate tooth. Colu- 
mella coarsely trabecular. Dissepiments (Fig. 4) 
coarsely vesicular, steeply inclined downward 
from the wall and rising axially. 
Polyps (previously described by Wells) 
lacking organic connection in adult stage. 
type species: Bantamia merleti Wells 1961 
Figs. 4 and 5 
Bantamia merleti Wells 1961. Pacific Sci. 
15:189, figs. 1-4. 
Having the characters of the genus as diag- 
nosed. Corallites 10-12 mm in diameter with 
24 non-uniting septa arranged 12/12. 
The single holotype specimen described by 
the writer as a new species of Bantamia Yabe 
and Eguchi 1943 appeared to have septa with 
entire margins, a condition that suggested a 
systematic position near Galaxea. New topotype 
and other material, however, shows that the 
septa have the coarse lobate dentations (Figs. 
4 and 5) characteristic of the mussids, especially 
Cynarina (Fig. 6). 
Although Blastomussa resembles Bantamia in 
growth form and cylindrical corallites, the differ- 
ences are more significant: the colony of Ban- 
tamia is less compact, the corallites are tortuous 
rather than regularly erect, the septa are smooth 
laterally (upper margins, whether dentate or 
not, unknown), the dissepiments are "delicate, 
but well-developed and usually horizontal.” The 
relationship of Bantamia to Galaxea presumed 
by Yabe and Eguchi (1943), is still justified 
from the structures as now known, but the 
mussid affiliation of Blastomussa merleti is 
scarcely to be doubted. 
Blastomussa is mainly distinguished from the 
other Recent colonial mussids ( Lobophyllia , 
Symphyllia, Muss a, Mussismilia, Isophyllia, 
Isoployllastraea, and Mycetophyllia) , all of which 
increase by intratentacular budding, by its ex- 
tratentacular budding and such lesser characters 
as the small size of the corallites and propor- 
tionally fewer septa. It compares most closely 
in septal structure to Cynarina, a larger, solitary 
form. 
localities: Banc Gail, 35-40 m, Noumea 
lagoon (holotpye and topotypes) ; and outer 
slope of barrier reef of New Caledonia, 40-50 
m. 
REFERENCES 
Wells, J. W. 1961. Notes on Indo-Pacific 
scleractinian corals. Part 3. A new reef coral 
from New Caledonia. Pacific Sci. 15:189- 
191, 5 figs. 
Yabe, H., and M. Eguchi. 1943. Note on the 
two Hexacoralla, Goniocorella dumosa (Al- 
cock) and Bantamia gerthi, gen. et sp. nov. 
Proc. Imp. Acad. Tokyo 19:494-500, 5 figs. 
