The type of Aplosmilia vidali Angelis d ’ Ossat , 1905 ( Scleractinia ; Early Cretaceous )

The Early Cretaceous Scleractinian coral species Aplosmilia vidali Angelis d´Ossat, 1905 is revised and a lectotype is designated. The solitary coral belongs to the genus Tiarasmilia and is probably a senior synonym of the type species of this genus, Tiarasmilia casteri Wells, 1932.


INTRODUCTION
Angelis d'Ossat was the first palaeontologist who reported systematically on Early Cretaceous corals from the area SW of Barcelona, mainly from around Castellví de la Marca.He was followed by Vidal, Bataller and Reig Oriol.Many coral species are known from this area, and many new species were established during the last 100 years.During the times of d'Ossat and Bataller, methods were different.Samples were rarely cut or provided with a polished section.Various species are therefore in need of revision, based on the original type material.The collection of Angelis d'Ossat is divided between two institutions: the Museo di Paleontologia in Roma (Italy) and the Museu de Geologia de Barcelona-MCNB (Spain).The collections of Bataller and Reig Oriol are almost completely conserved in the Museo Geológico del Seminario de Barcelona; only a few samples are in other places such as the Vinseum in Vilafranca de Penedés.In this short contribution, one coral species established by Angelis d'Ossat is revised.

STUDY AREA
The coral bearing marls SW of Barcelona belong to the Montmell Fm. (García, 1982), which crops out at the SE part of the province Tarragona and the SW corner of the province Barcelona, both in the Catalonia (NE Spain).The formation was originally assigned to the Aptian-Albian, later (Löser & Decrouez, 2000) restricted to the Late Aptian, but newer studies show that it belongs to the earliest Albian (Tardefurcata zone; Moreno-Bedmar et al., 2009).Corals occur in two levels, a lower bed made almost exclusively of solitary corals of the genera Plesiosmilia and Angelismilia (among others) and an upper bed consisting predominantly of colonial corals of the genera Actinastraeopsis, Astraeofungia, Cryptocoenia, Dimorphastrea, Diplogyra, Microsolena, Placocolumastrea, Stelidioseris, and Polyastropsis.Principal outcrops are the sample locations around Castellví de la Marca (e.g.Can Pascol [Can Pascual in former literature], Cal Morgades), and the localities Marmellar (sometimes as Marmellà in former literature), Cal Xuec, and Masarbonés.The Fm. Can Xuec (García, 1982) is here considered synonymous with the Fm.Montmell.

MATERIAL
Coral skeleton and sediment do not contrast well and fine skeletal microstructures are rarely preserved.The preparation of the material is laborious because only a small percentage of samples deliver thin sections of a high contrast.The examined specimen was therefore only cut in two pieces; a thin section was not prepared.Apart from the material found in the collections mentioned above, the author collected material at various sample points that is now kept at the Bayerische Staatssammlung in Munich (Germany).Among this material there is no other sample of Aplosmilia vidali.

SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION
Abbreviations.Collection abbreviations are as follows: MGB, Museu de Geologia de Barcelona -Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Spain; MPUR, Museo di Paleontologia, Roma, Italy.The abbreviations used in the synonymy lists follow Matthews (1973): *, earliest valid publication of the species name; v, the specimen was observed by the author.Quotations provided with neither a description nor an illustration are not cited here.Dimensions.Calicular diameter = 19-20mm; number of septa = 6 s1 + 6s2 + 12 s3.Description.Solitary turbinate coral.Calicular outline circular.Septa compact, in cross section externally thick, getting thinner towards the centre (septal max.thickness 2.5 mm).Symmetry of septa radial and regularly hexameral.Cycles of septa regular.Septal cycles differ in length and thickness.First septal cycle reaches to the centre of the calice, further cycles are subsequently shorter.Septa free.Main septum absent.Septal upper margin smooth, lateral face with remains of apophysal septa, inner margin slightly swollen in places.Pali or paliform lobes absent.Costae present.Synapticulae absent.Columella absent.Endotheca unknown, but dissepiments are visible in the calice.Wall absent, probably due to preservation reasons.
Remarks.The specimen is small and eroded.The delicate apophysal septa are not very well preserved.According to the septal symmetry and the number of septal cycles, the sample corresponds to Tiarasmilia casteri Wells, 1932, type species of Tiarasmilia.