Solitary corals of the Campanian Hajajah Limestone Member, Aruma Formation, Central Saudi Arabia
Fourteen species of the solitary corals belonging to eight genera and six families were identified and
illustrated from the Campanian – Maastrichtian Aruma Formation, northeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Cunnolites (Plesiocunnolites) riyadhensis, Actinoseris riyadhensis and Asteroseris arabica are believed to be
new. Genus Cunnolites dominates the identified fauna with six species namely Cunnolites (C.) reussi, C. (P.)
orbignyi, C. (P.) longifossata, C. (P.) scutellum, C. (C.) profundus and C. (P.) riyadhensis (n. sp.). The other species
belong to Aulosmilia cuneiformis, Rennensismilia inflexa, Rennensismilia sp., Acrosmilia conica, Actinoseris
riyadhensis (n. sp.), Asteroseris arabica (n. sp.), Montlivaltia sp. and Conicosmilotrochus sp. The solitary
corals have various growthforms from cupolate to flabellate, trochoid, ceratoid, cylindrical and patellate.
The studied taxa inhabit soft substrate in turbid water environment with low rate of sedimentation.
Borings and scars are rare, encrustations occur on the lower surfaces of some specimens. Partial mortality,
overgrowths, disorientation or any records of life impedences due to sedimentation and unstable substrate
were not observed in the studied specimens. Pedestals and columnar growths are also absent. Bioerosion
is observed in some specimens in the form of pittings produced by predators.
Three major lithofacies have been described in Lajjun area, central Jordan, including
the phosphorite and intercalated limestone of the Al‐Hisa Phosphorite Formation,
as well as the…
The Late Pleistocene reef unit of the last interglacial marine isotope stage 5e stretches all over most of
the coastal cliffs and wadi cuts and interrupted only in wadi entrances along the…
Middle to Late Pleistocene coral reefs stretch in three discontinuously elevated units
above the present sea level between Duba and Sharma along the Red Sea coast,
northwest Saudi…