Deep-Sea taxon details
Thecopsammia Pourtalès, 1868
267904 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:267904)
accepted
Genus
Thecopsammia socialis Pourtalès, 1868 (type by subsequent designation)
Balanophyllia (Thecopsammia) Pourtalès, 1868 · unaccepted > superseded combination
- Species Thecopsammia elongata Moseley, 1880
- Species Thecopsammia socialis Pourtalès, 1868
- Species Thecopsammia imperfecta Gravier, 1915 accepted as Leptopsammia formosa (Gravier, 1915) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
- Species Thecopsammia tintinnabulum Pourtalès, 1868 accepted as Bathypsammia tintinnabulum (Pourtalès, 1868) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
marine, fresh, terrestrial
recent + fossil
Pourtalès, L.F. de. (1868). Contributions to the fauna of the Gulf Stream at great depths (2d series). <em>Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, in Cambridge.</em> 1(7): 121-142., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6587602 [details] 
Depth range 214-878 m
Fossil range ?Late Eocene to Recent
Depth range 214-878 m [details]
Fossil range ?Late Eocene to Recent
Fossil range ?Late Eocene to Recent [details]
Hoeksema, B. W.; Cairns, S. (2025). World List of Scleractinia. Thecopsammia Pourtalès, 1868. Accessed through: Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2025) World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS) at: https://marinespecies.org/Deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=267904 on 2026-06-09
Glover, A.G.; Higgs, N.; Horton, T. (2026). World Register of Deep-Sea species (WoRDSS). Thecopsammia Pourtalès, 1868. Accessed at: https://marinespecies.org/Deepsea/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=267904 on 2026-06-09
Date
action
by
original description
Pourtalès, L.F. de. (1868). Contributions to the fauna of the Gulf Stream at great depths (2d series). <em>Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, in Cambridge.</em> 1(7): 121-142., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6587602 [details]
context source (Hexacorallia) Fautin, Daphne G. (2013). Hexacorallians of the World. (look up in IMIS) [details]
basis of record van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO). , available online at http://www.marinespecies.org/urmo/ [details]
additional source Veron JEN. (1986). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. <em>Angus & Robertson Publishers.</em> [details]
additional source Pourtalès L.F. de. (1871). Deep-sea corals. <em>Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College.</em> 2 (4): 1-93, pls. 1-8., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.13636 [details]
additional source Wells JW. (1958). Scleractinian Corals. <em>British-Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition 1929-31 Reports Series B.</em> 6(11): 257-275, pls. 1-2.
page(s): 262 [details]
additional source Baron-Szabo, R.C. & S.D. Cairns. (2019). Chapter 14: Part F, Revised, Volume 2, Chapter 14:Systematic Descriptions of the Scleractinia Family Dendrophylliidae. <em>Treatise Online, Part F, Revised.</em> 119: 1-33., available online at https://doi.org/10.17161/to.v0i0.9825 [details] Available for editors
additional source Smith FGW. (1954). Gulf of Mexico Madreporaria. <em>Fisheries Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S.).</em> 55, 291-295.
page(s): 294 [details]
redescription Cairns, S.D. (2001). A generic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Dendrophylliidae (Cnidaria: Scleractinia). <em>Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology.</em> 615: 1-75., available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.615 [details] Available for editors
context source (Hexacorallia) Fautin, Daphne G. (2013). Hexacorallians of the World. (look up in IMIS) [details]
basis of record van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO). , available online at http://www.marinespecies.org/urmo/ [details]
additional source Veron JEN. (1986). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. <em>Angus & Robertson Publishers.</em> [details]
additional source Pourtalès L.F. de. (1871). Deep-sea corals. <em>Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College.</em> 2 (4): 1-93, pls. 1-8., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.13636 [details]
additional source Wells JW. (1958). Scleractinian Corals. <em>British-Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition 1929-31 Reports Series B.</em> 6(11): 257-275, pls. 1-2.
page(s): 262 [details]
additional source Baron-Szabo, R.C. & S.D. Cairns. (2019). Chapter 14: Part F, Revised, Volume 2, Chapter 14:Systematic Descriptions of the Scleractinia Family Dendrophylliidae. <em>Treatise Online, Part F, Revised.</em> 119: 1-33., available online at https://doi.org/10.17161/to.v0i0.9825 [details] Available for editors
additional source Smith FGW. (1954). Gulf of Mexico Madreporaria. <em>Fisheries Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S.).</em> 55, 291-295.
page(s): 294 [details]
redescription Cairns, S.D. (2001). A generic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the Dendrophylliidae (Cnidaria: Scleractinia). <em>Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology.</em> 615: 1-75., available online at https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.615 [details] Available for editors
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Biology azooxanthellate [details]Comparison Differs from Balanophyllia in lacking costae but having a significant amount of epitheca. [details]
Depth range 214-878 m [details]
Diagnosis Corallum solitary, trochoid, firmly attached; epitheca present; Pourtalès plan present; paliform present or absent; columella small and discrete; azooxanthellate. [details]
Fossil range ?Late Eocene to Recent [details]
Remark This genus and family were monographed by Cairns (2001), which included a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology. Three species, including one fossil. [details]
From editor or global species database
