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Climatius

Halysites A colony is composed of elongated corals, either cylindrical or oval in shape, joined together in a long chain that intertwines to form an irregular mesh. The general form of this chain recalls a rosary. The corallites are separated from each other by a microcorallite almost polygonal in form. In the genus Halysites the wall is imperforate and the calices are either totally lacking in septa or characterized by the presence of 12 vertically placed spines; the tabulae are well developed and either horizontal or gently arching. The family Halysitidae is represented by four genera that are distinguished from Halysites by the size of their tubes and the form of their corallites. Their stratigraphic position coincides with that of the genus Halysites, while the geographical distribution of the individual genera is extremely variable. Copyright 1986 by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A., Milan .