Is this a coral colony?

[Rogue Embryo]

Found this along Lake Ontario in Toronto. If this is a coral colony, is it possible to tell what kind? The spotted pattern occurs inside the rock, too, evidenced by the last image of a break. It doesn't look much like the scores of coral fossil-rocks I've seen around here.

 

[Ludwigia]

This could possibly belong to the tabulate genus Syringopora, but the only way to be certain would be to make a polished crosscut and study the structure. Identifying corals is no simple matter. Just ask @HansTheLoser. It is also possible that this is a bryozoan.

[Rockwood]

8 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

genus Syringopora 

Must be somewhere in that folder. 

[TqB]

Very likely Syringopora. The corallite size, overall structure and cross connections are right and there's no sign of the septa you'd get in any similar rugose coral.

A polished section might reveal the funnel shaped tabulae that would clinch it.

Edited October 8, 2021 by TqB

[Rogue Embryo]

Very interesting and helpful, thank you!

 

Camille

[tombk]

So no one else is thinking possible receptaculites? There’s not an obvious Fibonacci spiral/sunflower pattern to the pores, but some of the areas are exposed at an angle to the surface, and that could obscure the pattern. (I don’t know the geologic periods are around Lake Ontario.)

Edited October 8, 2021 by tombk
Added text

[Rockwood]

10 hours ago, tombk said:

So no one else is thinking possible receptaculites? There’s not an obvious Fibonacci spiral/sunflower pattern to the pores, but some of the areas are exposed at an angle to the surface, and that could obscure the pattern. (I don’t know the geologic periods are around Lake Ontario.)

The apparent branched nature in the texture of the piece presents serious diagenetic questions to get there I believe.

[HansTheLoser]

HansTheLoser does not Paleozoic.