A new alcyonacean octocoral (Anthozoa) from the Late Silurian of Gotland, Sweden

Abstract

A new species and genus of stem-group ‘soft corals’ (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) is described and illustrated in detail, as well as compared to other species of the sparse octocorallian fossil record. Sueciatractos leipnitzae gen. et sp. nov. has been collected from the Upper Silurian Hemse beds of the Isle of Gotland, Sweden. The new taxon differs from all other taxa by its unique form of sclerites which were fused at first glance, but stacked compactly, densely packed aggregates forming a nearly solid skeleton or former supporting layers in part. Sueciatractos is compared with other fossil octocoral species that were known by microscopic/mesoscopic sclerites.