‘Penniretepora’ Bryozoan
This ‘Penniretepora’ Bryozoan fossil is from the Silurian.
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‘Penniretepora’ Bryozoan
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Hexagonaria Compound Rugose Coral
Hexagonaria
This Hexagonariais from the Silurian.
http://fossilsaustralia.com/hexagonaria-compound-rugose-coral/
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Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral-9
This Solitary Rugose Coral is from the Silurian.
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Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral-8
This Solitary Rugose Coral is from the Silurian.
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Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral-7
This Rugose Coral is from the Silurian.
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Favosites (“Brain Coral”)
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Rugose-Coral
Rugose-Coral-6
This Rugose Coral is from the Silurian.
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Favosites (“Brain Coral”)
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Solitary Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral-5
This Solitary Rugose Coral is from the Silurian.
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Solitary Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral-4
This Solitary Rugose Coral is from the Silurian.
http://fossilsaustralia.com/solitary-rugose-coral-4/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugose_coral
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Syringopora (tabulate coral)
Syringopora
Tabulate corals achieved a maximum distribution in shallow and warm Silurian and Devonian seas. Syringopora like other tabulate corals lived on the crests of the reef. Syringopora preferred shallow, moving water with settling calcareous sediment. The clumps of narrow, cylindrical, thick walled corallites, which were set far apart were irregularly joined together by horizontal tubular fannel-shaped connections. This Syringopora is from the Silurian.
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Solitary Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral-3
Modern corals are colonial; meaning each structure is actually made up of the shells of masses of tiny animals. Some members of the group Rugosa were instead solitary, growing orders of magnitude larger than any single living coral. Corals are cnidarians, a group that also includes jellyfish.
The tip of the ‘horn’ was shallowly buried in ocean floor sediments. This would lead to corals falling over on occasion due to strong currents; the animal would then build its shell towards the ‘new up’, which is why some rugose coral fossils are bent rather than straight shelled. -
Themnopora (“feather duster coral)”
Themnopora
This is Thamnopora from Silurian limestone. Thamnopora is a branching tabulate coral. The name tabulate refers to the tabulae, horizontal
elements visible in longitudinal section. All tabulate
corals are colonial. -
Hexagonaria (compound rugose coral)
Hexagonaria
Hexagonaria has tabulate colonies with large numbers of small but massive corallites. The numerous thickened septa do not extend into the centre and are joined together by a wide dissepimentarium. In the calyx, above the tabularium, there is a deep, narrow depression. This Hexagonaria is from the Silurian.
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Solitary Rugose Coral
Rugose-Coral2
Modern corals are colonial; meaning each structure is actually made up of the shells of masses of tiny animals. Some members of the group Rugosa were instead solitary, growing orders of magnitude larger than any single living coral. Corals are cnidarians, a group that also includes jellyfish.
The tip of the ‘horn’ was shallowly buried in ocean floor sediments. This would lead to corals falling over on occasion due to strong currents; the animal would then build its shell towards the ‘new up’, which is why some rugose coral fossils are bent rather than straight shelled. -
Favosites (“Brain Coral”)
Favosites-Brain-Coral
Favosites (“Brain Coral”) grows as giant domes or extensive thick crusts and can live for more than 100 years. It lived in warm, shallow water environments. Each Favosites is formed by genetically identical polyps which secrete a hard exoskeleton of calcium carbonate. Its hard outer shell, built by the tiny polyps that live within its walls, make it a type of stony coral. Hundreds of these polyps can live within a brain coral at one time. The polyps have two layers – an outer ectoderm and an inner endoderm, which are separated by a jelly-like mesogloea. They also have a single opening which acts as both mouth and anus, which is surrounded by a ring of tentacles containing stinging cells or ‘nematocysts’. The polyp mouths tentacles are only extended at night filtering small drifting organisms. This Favosite is from the Silurian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Coral
