Physical Description: 

The corallites are around 6 mm long. The polyps have horn shapes and 6 long and 6 short septa. Septastrea did not form reefs. Their morphology is variable, being able to grow into just about any shape.

Mode of Life or Habitat: 

Benthic and sessile. Usually lived in shallow, warm water, but were able to survive in deeper, colder water. Azooxanthellae (they do not live in symbiosis with photosynthetic algae). Suspension feeder. Septastrea corals secrete a hard, calcareous exoskeleton composed of calcium carbonate. This skeleton provides the structural support for the coral colony and contributes to the formation of coral reefs over time. Like other scleractinian corals, Septastrea corals are colonial organisms. They form colonies composed of numerous individual polyps. Each polyp has a tubular structure with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. The individual units within a Septastrea coral colony are called polyps. Each polyp lives in a cup-like structure known as a coralite. The repeated growth of new coralites contributes to the overall structure of the coral colony.

Additional Information: 

Every continent except Antarctica. Very prevalent along the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Extinct: 
Yes
Start: 
Tertiary Paleogene Paleocene
End: 
Quaternary Pleistocene
Ma Start: 
66
0.01170
Etymology: 
Name means "little tongue" in Latin because of its thin, tongue-shaped shell.
Distribution: 
Worldwide
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