Show us your Devonian Epizoans & Pathological Brachiopods!

[Mediospirifer]

This one was weathering out of some quarried rocks in Columbus, Ohio. I suspect the matrix is Columbus limestone, Middle Devonian in age. I picked up this brachiopod, but didn't notice the bite scar until two days ago when I repacked the fossils into a plastic box!

 

 

 

Notice in the last image (of the commissure) that the visible scar affects both valves. There are also two other marks visible in the first and third images that look like more scars, but they're obscured by matrix on that valve, and the corresponding area of the other valve is missing. I'm going to have to look into preparation to remove that matrix sometime.

 

Two more specimens to come! 

 

[Mediospirifer]

Here's a partial phyllocarid plate (Echinocaris punctatus) with inarticulate brachiopods riding along:

 

 

Middle Devonian, Livingston County, NY. I haven't identified the brachiopods yet. I'm thinking this was most likely a living relationship, meaning that these brachiopods were capable of colonizing an active, moving host. 

 

And a couple photos of another find from the same site in the next comment.  

 

[Mediospirifer]

This was a bivalve, and I didn't notice the two holes in one valve until a last week:

 

 

Here's a closer look at those holes:

 

 

This is the first specimen I've found that looks like barnacle borings to me. I think this was the endocast of the clam, so those holes were bumps on the inside of the valve. Which would imply that the barnacle (if it was) attached to the living clam, and the clam secreted extra shell material to protect itself, as the brachiopods did.

 

It's not a brachiopod, but it's still cool! 

 

[Brach3]

@Mediospirifer  

 

yes, it's very a interesting situation when coral encrusting something around!!!

 

 

We have the same situation with blue-green algaes from D3

 

And you may be interesting in this specimens:

 

 

this is sponge Chaetetes radians around carboniferous brachiopods Choristites sp. (photo from local geological museum)

 

And another specimen from the collection of a friend collector.

this is Chaetetes sp around the brachiopod Choristites sp. (core of the brachiopod is in sponges).

 

unfortunately, it's not obvious to me: has it been a live or dead relationship 

sponge had encrusted the brachiopod when brachiopod was alive, why not?  

But round shape it is a consequence of overturning by currents

 

so it's very interesting specimen!

 

Pseudoatrypa sp  was like Atrypa sp. a transitional type of attachment (after atrophy of the pedicle it was free-lying form)

And coral Favosites sp has encrusted on the brachiopod's position №5

 

longitudinal section Atrypa sp. we can see trails

 

 

reconstruction of a lifetime view Pseudoatrypa sp  (Atrypa sp.) with trails.

these trails have been often broken off (they was very thin).

so coral Favosites sp could be on the trails at first 

 

I think we should find more Pseudoatrypa devoniana  from these fields for understanding 

 

I will write tomorrow about other 3 specimens (i have one very interesting paper about internal injuries) 

So to be continue...  

[Brach3]

@Mediospirifer 

 

"that the visible scar affects both valves."

I see here Productida, is it? And it's look like Cephalopod Predation and (?) attachment scars  cool!

 

See paper about "Cephalopod Predation on a Desmoinesian Brachiopod from the Naco Formation, Central Arizona Author(s): David K. Elliott and Douglas C. Brew" (link)

and they pointed out the very rare paper "SARYCHEVAT,. G. 1949. The study of damaget o Carboniferousp roductoid shells. Trudy Paleontologicheskiy Institut, 18:280-292 (in Russian)". She's described such damage to productoid shells. It's absolutely rare paper and for Russia. But we have

 

so... Sarycheva shows us: the upper jaw is a puncture / hole, lower jaw, anvil / holds (please see Cephalopod Predation in your topic with pictures, i can't find)

or see here link (but in russian). It's look like the same situation. But Sarycheva also shows us situation with "the tightness of the settlement/colony" when we have internal injury. 

 

"brachiopods were capable of colonizing an active, moving host."

yes? i don't know about it ... how have they used it?

I know colony epizoans on the the pygidium of trilobites, but after their dead.

hm, please keep me updated on the investigation! )

 

"This is the first specimen I've found that looks like barnacle borings to me." + please check "Blister" (i have send you these papers)

"and the clam secreted extra shell material to protect itself" Yes 

 

---

And for your topic about Ascodictyon (i can't find it )

 

we have some specimens, there are Ascodictyon use branches like of plants may be for growths

 

and some beautiful photos 

 

 

Here we have very interesting situation: bad conditions for brachiopod and Ascodictyon.

After something (may be mud) the Ascodictyon dead. The single specimen.   

 

Here we see Ascodictyon on the Cornulites sp 

[Brach3]

@Mediospirifer @Tidgy's Dad 

 

You may be interesting in these fossils Tomaculum sp. (pellets)

 

You exactly have seen them in ammonites (Jurassic)

 

But now we have it in D3:

 

 

1 - Brachiopod Cyrtospirifer sp (the brachiopods stuffed ) 2 - Gastropoda 

i have several specimens & if you interesting i'll post photos...

 

And today one scientist's sent me a new paper 2020 about pellets in Ordovic!

"Small faecal pellets in Ordovician shelly fossils from Estonia, Baltoscandia" // Ursula Toom, Olev Vinn, Mare Isakar, Anna Madison and Olle Hints: Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences, 2020 (PDF)

 

 

[ByronNWT]

Fort Simpson formation. Late Devonian. I dont really know my bivalves. Maybe Praecardium? Note: childrens toy measuring tape lol. It is accurate btw. 

Edited May 24, 2020 by ByronNWT
Adding pictures

[Brach3]

15 hours ago, ByronNWT said:

I dont really know my bivalves.

@ByronNWT and i dont know 

if you need i can send you treatise on bivalves (1969 volume 1, 2, 3) for determining your bivalve

 

do you have brachiopods with epizoans? there are a lot of them in D3 too

 

[Brach3]

I hope we're all over the coronavirus and haven't forget fossils ) 

I am going to post some very rary fossils (brachiopods like epizoans in the life positions)

* all these brachiopods Roman Kalabin has found (scientific novelty)

 

have a good viewing )))

 

Tomestenoporhynchus sp. (young brachiopods)

 

Theodossia sp.

 

Cyrtospirifer sp. (young brachiopods)

 

Cyrtospirifer sp. (may be)

 

Cyrtospirifer sp. 

 

 

@Mediospirifer

[Sjfriend]

2 hours ago, Brach3 said:

I hope we're all over the coronavirus and haven't forget fossils ) 

I am going to post some very rary fossils (brachiopods like epizoans in the life positions)

* all these brachiopods Roman Kalabin has found (scientific novelty)

 

have a good viewing )))

 

These are great pieces. Love the life positions.

[Mediospirifer]

Very nice!

 

I'll have to look more closely at the brachios in my collection that have irregularities on the surface. I would have taken the juvenile Tomestenoporhynchus sp. for bits of matrix!

 

At some point, I'll post more pictures. I should revisit and photograph some of my collection anyways, and I'll bet that there are a number of interesting specimens that I've overlooked.

 

[Brach3]

13 hours ago, Sjfriend said:

Love the life positions.

@Sjfriend ok, then new one )

 

Cyrtospirifer sp.

 

8 hours ago, Mediospirifer said:

I've overlooked.

Yes, please check your collection. There can be very rare fossils.   

 

@Mediospirifer Brachiopods: Ripidiorynchus strugi (Nalivkin) from Ordovician

 

Cyrtospirifer sp. (in life position too)

 

 @fifbrindacier Zeilleria sp, from Jurassic (for french collectors)

 

figuratively speaking: one brachiopods costs about 1$, but the same brachiopods "in life possition" can cost 100$

and unfortunately I know cases then novice collector separates brachiopods from their total mass for the sake of a single specimen...

these examples are for understanding the problematic 

 

[Mediospirifer]

I finally have a few specimens photographed.  I recently acquired a new camera (okay, a well-used secondhand camera. It's a lot better than the last one!)

 

First up, my namesake! Mediospirifer sp. with multiple epizoans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the obvious Hederella, we can also see some fine tracings on the pedicle valve hinge area. I don't know what these might be. My first thought was to check a paper on crinoid epibionts, but the closest possibility there ("Ropelanaria" givetiana) has visible zooecia that I don't see on this specimen. 

 

Next up, Heliophyllum halli with a variety of encrusters:

 

More of this one in the next post.

[Mediospirifer]

Here are some more views of the Heliophyllum and its community:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll have to put these two specimens under my microscope and fully document the colonies in detail. That's going to wait a bit, though. I'm looking into getting myself a new digital microscope, if what I'm thinking of will do what I want. If so, I'll do the full detailed photos after I get it. 

 

One more post!

 

 

 

[Mediospirifer]

On 2/9/2020 at 6:52 AM, Brach3 said:

I've found a very interesting specimen with damages... it's atomic momb!!! 

It's only / single specimen for all of the searches!!!

I've never seen such damages of Athyris in articles... never! It's unique chance for everyone to see it!  

   

 

Here's an Athyris spiriferoides that I looked at more closely recently:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks fairly normal, except for the borehole and a few small bumps. But then we look at the hinge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a bit of gap at the sides, isn't there? Here are the side views:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the aperture:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This critter had a rough time for a while! But it wasn't a bite; there's no obvious scar. I'm thinking foreign matter intrusion may have interrupted the growth.

 

I'll have more horn coral photos (different corals with epizoans) sometime soon. 

 

[Brach3]

 

On 2/17/2021 at 9:17 AM, Mediospirifer said:

 I recently acquired a new camera

 photos are fantastic now (detailed information) 

 

On 2/17/2021 at 9:31 AM, Mediospirifer said:

I'll have to put these two specimens under my microscope and fully document the colonies in detail.

 

   

 

It looks like Ascodictyon sp. and there are something also (I don't see but it looks very mysterious) 

 

@Mediospirifer mmm  cool!

 

On 2/17/2021 at 9:17 AM, Mediospirifer said:

First up, my namesake!

I use screenshots programme and there a red arrow: please show where is epibionts? ))))) 

 

 

It's intravital injury (by predatory gastropods) because the brachiopod's mantle restored the valve.

 

and after dead of the brachiopod (may be the driller needed only the surface of the attachment, in order to rise above the sediment.)

 

 yes!!!..

the second instance. 

it could be non-preserved epizoans (algae, sponge or something also = ulceration)

and we see "weakening of the structure" when brachiopod's mantle (old brachiopod) can not produce the shell substance in full

 

 

 

 

 

[Mediospirifer]

21 hours ago, Brach3 said:

please show where is epibionts?

 

Here are the photos again; I've circled the epibionts in red, and underlined some features that might also be epibionts, but I haven't confirmed them under the microscope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pale lines on the last image are curious. They're definitely ridges, rather than scratches, and are what I thought might be "Ropelanaria" givetiana. But I don't see any zooecia! For now, it's an Idunno whatsis!*

 

Here's a nice Stereolasma sp. horn coral with a distinct Hederella (and possibly a few other epibionts):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* (Idunno whatsis is silly-spelling for "I don't know what this is!")

 

 

[Brach3]

1 hour ago, Mediospirifer said:

They're definitely ridges, rather than scratches,

 

@Mediospirifer Oh, now I see! Without comment it looks like cracks

 

It looks like the Ascodictyon's lines (without “sockets” Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: The mysterious Paleozoic encrusters Ascodictyon and Allonema the authors say about "this is from the Devonian of Michigan"). 

 

the Ascodictyon's lines can cross. I've found this example, please see. Sometimes there are only lines like "cotton wool fibers"   

 

 

they are often on the area 

 

 

1 hour ago, Mediospirifer said:

* (Idunno whatsis is silly-spelling for "I don't know what this is!")

 I've thought it's Latin language... 

 

photos are fantastic now (detailed information) ...  I can see

 

And in additions about brachiopods ulceration, i've found information about modern organisms who can destroy the brachiopod's valves : 

1. foraminifera 

2. sponges (on the brachiopod Terebratulina retusa + sponges: Myxilla brunnea (Hansen), Plocamia ambigua (Bowerbank), Crellomina imparidens (Reznoj))

3. hydroids

4. Polychaetes

5. Bryozoans

6. Ascidia

7. micro algae

 

so we can see bio erosion but not epizoans 

 

we can also assume the tightness (closeness) of the brachiopods but not preserved epizoans are more likely

 

 

 

[Brach3]

 

@Mediospirifer  please see, they look like devonian Schizophoria sp.   

modern epizoans are not inferior to the Devonian ones )))

* all these brachiopods (Idunno whatsis) from Roman Kalabin

 

 epizoansss

 

and some photos of the boxes with brachiopods + epizoans (in the boxes for the screws): 

 

there are some brachiopods undo epizoans 

Atrypa sp. №1

 

Atrypa sp. №2

 

and Atrypa sp. №3 (one valve with epizoans)

there are green algae Rothpletzella sp. ,  Microconchida, Ascodictyon and may be some foraminifera

 

[Crusty_Crab]

From the Devonian (Frasnian I think) Lime Creek Formation of Iowa, I believe this is Aulopora sp. on a solitary rugose coral. The coral has been compressed and the other side is free of any encrusting organisms:

 

 

[Crusty_Crab]

Some other views:

 

[Crusty_Crab]

From the Devonian, same formation and locality as above is the brachiopod Schizophoria iowaensis (Hall, 1858):

[Crusty_Crab]

[Mediospirifer]

2 hours ago, Crusty_Crab said:

I believe this is Aulopora sp. on a solitary rugose coral.

 

I agree! Nice specimen; it looks like you have a couple different layers of Aulopora there. The possible interactions between epibionts can be fascinating.

 

At the bottom of this photo, I can see an area where a piece of Aulopora deteriorated and just left ridges (horizontal), while a younger colony overlaps it vertically. Very cool!

 

2 hours ago, Crusty_Crab said:

 

1 hour ago, Crusty_Crab said:

From the Devonian, same formation and locality as above is the brachiopod Schizophoria iowaensis (Hall, 1858):

 

That's a nice Hederella on that brachiopod. 

 

[Crusty_Crab]

2 hours ago, Mediospirifer said:

 

I agree! Nice specimen; it looks like you have a couple different layers of Aulopora there. The possible interactions between epibionts can be fascinating.

 

At the bottom of this photo, I can see an area where a piece of Aulopora deteriorated and just left ridges (horizontal), while a younger colony overlaps it vertically. Very cool!

 

 

That's a nice Hederella on that brachiopod. 

 

@Mediospirifer Thanks for the ID! 

 

I checked Fenton's 1924 paper on the Hackberry Fauna for descriptions about the different species and this description for Aulopora iowaensis Hall and Whitfield seemed fitting "...The tubes commonly coalesce and overgrow one another, so as to obscure the surface to which they are attached."