Tampa Bay Fossilized Coral Branch?

[Bronzviking]

Hi Fossil Hunters, I found this unusual piece on Honeymoon Beach, Florida. It's not the typical shaped coral I find and has corallites on the base.

I wanted to know what kind of coral and if it's fossilized or just a limestone cast (Steinkern)? Florida Guys I could use your help. @Harry Pristis @Plantguy @Shellseeker Thanks! Lynn

[Shellseeker]

30 minutes ago, Bronzviking said:

Hi Fossil Hunters, I found this unusual piece on Honeymoon Beach, Florida. It's not the typical shaped coral I find and has corallites on the base.

I wanted to know what kind of coral and if it's fossilized or just a limestone cast (Steinkern)? Florida Guys I could use your help. @Harry Pristis @Plantguy @Shellseeker Thanks! Lynn

 

Lynn,

Interesting piece  !!!  but I can not answer any of your questions because if knowledge about all things corals and limestone were a marathon, I am about 3 feet ahead of you on such knowledge.

 

You can see that in this following thread,  where I have found a piece of coral, and I am requesting an identification and some of the coral experts who exist on TFF are suggesting possibilities. I do note that my 2nd photo, where my coral attaches to whatever corals attach to, has some similarities to your 2nd photo.  The 1st photo , with lots of little corallites is what I recognize as coral.

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Shellseeker

[Bronzviking]

On 4/18/2021 at 4:37 PM, Shellseeker said:

 

Lynn,

Interesting piece  !!!  but I can not answer any of your questions because if knowledge about all things corals and limestone were a marathon, I am about 3 feet ahead of you on such knowledge.

 

You can see that in this following thread,  where I have found a piece of coral, and I am requesting an identification and some of the coral experts who exist on TFF are suggesting possibilities. I do note that my 2nd photo, where my coral attaches to whatever corals attach to, has some similarities to your 2nd photo.  The 1st photo , with lots of little corallites is what I recognize as coral.

 

 

 

Thanks for looking Jack, they are awesome finds. The first one reminded me of the petoskey stone pattern. Here's a link I found posted on the forum ID SIDERASTREA with some great information. Fossilized Golf Ball - Fossil Hunting Trips - The Fossil Forum

Here is another good resource....scroll near the end to see pics.

ROTATORY COLONIES OF THE CORALS SIDERASTREA RADIANS AND SOLENASTRAEA SSP. (CNIDARIA, SCLERACTINIA), FROM THE PLEISTOCENE BERMONT FORMATION, SOUTH FLORIDA, USA - SORAUF - 2009 - Palaeontology - Wiley Online Library
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00825.x

 

[Bronzviking]

Hi @MikeR You seem to have the expertise I need on this find after reading Jacks thread. Can you please take a look. Thanks! Lynn

[digit]

It's going to be difficult to assign an ID to this specimen as it is well worn and doesn't seem to be providing a nice surface perpendicular to the growth of the coral polyps.

 

Corals found on the beach are more likely to be fragments of modern (extant) species rather than fossilized. The one I found in my backyard 12 miles from the present day shoreline was much easier to declare fossilized.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Plantguy]

Interesting fragment.

Honeymoon island sure does have its fair share of cool fossil coral pieces but I'm not sure what type you have or if its fossil. The fossil material as I understand it has been silica replaced from there. I still have a few things from there that I never did track down and they may also be too fragmented to do anything with.  I have some Tamiami Fm coral fragments/finds but I very quickly defer to Ken and Mike and the others in the forum with expertise when it comes to anything coral. 

Regards, Chris 

[Bronzviking]

On 4/20/2021 at 5:58 PM, digit said:

It's going to be difficult to assign an ID to this specimen as it is well worn and doesn't seem to be providing a nice surface perpendicular to the growth of the coral polyps.

 

Corals found on the beach are more likely to be fragments of modern (extant) species rather than fossilized. The one I found in my backyard 12 miles from the present day shoreline was much easier to declare fossilized.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

Thanks for looking. So you think it is a worn piece of coral that's modern?

[digit]

Can't say for sure but I wouldn't bet against it.

 

Again, if this were found on the shores of Lake Okeechobee then you would be pretty sure you are talking fossilized coral (unless it was dropped there recently by someone). When you are in an environment where there are living corals then the majority of dead coral skeletons are going to be modern.

 

I'm pretty good at identifying all of the local scleractinian (reef building) corals presently along the coast of Florida but only when they are alive and covered with polyp tissue. I've been on beaches which are covered with lots of coral cobbles after a large storm like a hurricane and it is an interesting challenge to ID them to species purely from the skeleton without the coloration and polyp structure I'm used to seeing. I have the same problem trying to ID things like parrotfishes in a fish market. All of the normal colors and markings are gone and it is much more challenging.

 

If the specimen you had were to have a nice complete surface showing the polyp structure well I'd probably hazard a guess as to species (or at least genus) but on fragmentary specimens like this I don't know if I'd be able to ID it even if I had it in hand. Cool find and definitely seems to have coral polyp structure to it but likely won't be able to say more than that.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

[Gregcohen]

It's from an invasive shell that burrowed into a chunk of coral.  They make holes and those holes tend to absorb minerals different then the surrounding coral.  So can have some nice coral patterns around the hole.  It happens a lot on Honeymoon island dredged material.  

 

Tubes left from the shell absorb minerals at a different rate then the coral head.  They are sometimes harder then the surrounding material.  They do make some really interesting pieces.