Coral fossil?

[h8cru]

Hi there,

 

I´m all new to the forum and on the search for the ID of a little white "stone" I found.

Unfortunately I´m not sure where I found it. If I remember right it was on the balearic island of Mallorca in 2023.

But I have no more details on it, as minerals normally are not in my focus.

This one was quite strange, so I took it with me.

 

Do you have any ideas what it might be?

I would go with some kind of fossilized coral, but I have no clue

Thank you and best regards,

h8cru

 

 

[Fossildude19]

I agree it is some sort of coral, but I can't say more than that. 

[oyo]

Coral, yes.

Pourtales septal plan. 

Dendrophylliidae family.

Probably Balanophyllia.

Edited May 10 by oyo

[h8cru]

Thank you very much!

So just I don´t tell wrong things:
Is this a fossil or the original chalk/skeletton?
Feels very light and chalky
What does this mean regarding the age?
Can it be a modern skeletton or is it millions of years old?

Thanks again!

[oyo]

As far as I know, Balanophyllia is currently present in the Mediterranean. In the area to which you refer there are currently two species of that genus described.
The genus is also described as fossil in that area, specifically in strata belonging to the Pleisticene.
It would be difficult to differentiate a current rolled or eroded specimen collected on a beach from one fossilized from Pleistocene sites.
The key to the matter would be to know where the specimen was collected. If it was collected far from the sea, fossil. If it was collected on a beach with areas of nearby Pleistocene strata, who knows. And if it was collected on a beach without nearby Pleistocene strata, current.

Edited May 10 by oyo