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Monday, September 21, 2009

Modern Day Brachiopod Terebratalia transversa

UPDATED: The brachiopod shown in the picture was mislabelled in more ways then one. First the genus name shown is spelled wrong. It should be Laqueus but it does not stop there. Thanks to Howard for this correction. If you look at images of modern day brachiopods found off the coast of California, you will find this image is a closer match to a brachiopod called Terebratalia transversa (Sowerby, 1846). So the BIG lesson here is just because someone gives you something that is labeled, check its naming and visual reference!


This picture is of a modern day brachiopod found near Catalina Island off California at about a depth of 100 meters. It was found in 1985 and is called Lacqueas californicus.

Thanks to a member of Kentucky Paleontological Society for showing it to me at the Fossil Festival.
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3 comments:

  1. DaveSeptember 21, 2009 at 11:15 AM

    Very cool! Looks kinda like a Spirifer... except they are extinct. :(

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2009 at 5:09 PM

    Interesting--nice specimen! But I think it's misidentified. I tried to google the name, and came up empty, then eventually learned that the name is misspelled--should be "Laqueus". If you google Laqueus californicus you'll find several images, none of which resemble the specimen in the photo. Descriptions of the species say that the shell of L. californicus is "ovate", and say nothing about ribs, or a fold and sulcus. Another mystery!

    Cheers,
    --Howard

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  3. Michael PoppSeptember 21, 2009 at 11:11 PM

    THANKS for the comments!

    I do wonder if the brachiopods we find from Devonian and Ordovician Periods had this type of vivid colors.

    Nice work Howard, the label had the genus misspelled. Which made me curious so I "dredged" the Internet so to speak and saw what you were saying. The Laqueus californicus looks like a Devonian Athyris brachiopod and not like the one pictured in this post.

    This brachiopod appears to be a Terebratalia transversa found off the coast of California as well.

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