| Tabulata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tabulate coral (a syringoporid); Boone Limestone (Lower Carboniferous) near Hiwasse, Arkansas. Scale bar is 2.0 cm. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | †Tabulata |
| Suborders | |
Tabulata, commonly known astabulate corals, are anorder ofextinct forms ofcoral. They are almost alwayscolonial, forming colonies of individualhexagonal cells known ascorallites defined by askeleton ofcalcite, similar in appearance to ahoneycomb. Adjacent cells are joined by small pores. Their distinguishing feature is their well-developed horizontal internal partitions (tabulae) within each cell, but reduced or absent vertical internal partitions (septa). They are usually smaller thanrugose corals, but vary considerably in shape, from flat to conical to spherical.
Around 300 species have been described. Among the most common tabulate corals in thefossil record areAulopora,Favosites,Halysites,Heliolites,Pleurodictyum,Sarcinula andSyringopora. Tabulate corals with massive skeletons often contain endobiotic symbionts, such as cornulitids andChaetosalpinx.[1][2]
Likerugose corals, they lived entirely during thePaleozoic, being found from theOrdovician to thePermian. WithStromatoporoidea and rugose corals, the tabulate corals are characteristic of the shallow waters of theSilurian andDevonian. Sea levels rose in the Devonian, and tabulate corals became much less common. They finally became extinct in thePermian–Triassic extinction event.
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