Review of occurrences of halysitid corals in Devonian strata

A review of reported and new occurrences of ‘Devonian’ halysitids indicates that most are older than Devonian. Reports of Emsian halysitids from Chios are best attributed to errors in the compilation of Bassler (1950). The occurrences of halysitids in Quebec in strata considered Early Devonian provide the only plausible examples of the existence of this family in the Devonian. Thus, only Cystihalysites and Quepora appear to linger into the Devonian. Five Australian occurrences, yielding seven taxa, are described and interpreted as Silurian or older halysitids. All are from allochthonous material in the Early Devonian of New South Wales and include: Schedohalysites murramirra sp. nov., Halysites sussmilchi Etheridge and an indeterminate specimen from the Mullamuddy Formation near Mudgee; Schedohalysites sp. cf. S.? chillagoensis from the Sutchers Creek Formation, also near Mudgee; Quepora sp. indet. from the Jesse Limestone at Limekilns; cf. S. orthopteroides (Etheridge) from the Nubrigyn Formation near Stuart Town; and ? Halysites sp. indet. from the Sharpeningstone Conglomerate near Bowning. The type material of Schedohalysites ? chillagoensis (Etheridge) is redescribed and a lectotype selected.