Centronea sp.
Typically small (< 20 mm diameter) colonies of spheroidal shape, composed of multiple cup-shaped subcolonies, 3-5 mm in diameter, fused at their raised edges. Colony surfaces are coral-like due to the polygonal pattern of ridges defining the edges of the subcolonies.
Autozooids have convex frontal walls and circular to longitudinally elliptical apertures, approximately 0.10 mm in diameter, often arranged roughly in rows radiating from the depressed centres of the subcolonies. Preserved peristomes are short. Terminal diaphragms close many of the apertures, particularly close to the centres of the subcolonies.
Gonozooids are developed between the centres and distal edges of some subcolonies. The brood chamber roof is usually broken, inflated, circular to transversely ovate in outline shape and penetrated by a few autozooids. The ooeciopore has not been identified.
This undescribed Coralline Crag species, which is very provisionally assigned to Centronea, in some respects resembles Blumenbachium globosum and in others Multisparsa meandrina. The compound colony comprising multiple cup-shaped subcolonies united at their edges to give a colony surface covered by polygonal ridges is reminiscent of B. globosum. However, colonies of this much rarer species are considerably smaller than those of B. globosum and have autozooids with calcified frontal walls unlike the polygonal, free-walled autozooids of B. globosum. The bifoliate edges of subcolonies of Centronea sp. may resemble broken flakes of M. meandrina colonies but have smaller autozooids. Intact colonies of the two species are totally different in colonial morphology.
Pliocene, Late Zanclean–Early Piacenzian, Coralline Crag Formation, Aldeburgh Member, Aldeburgh Hall, Aldeburgh, Suffolk.