Pygites brachiopod from Spain

Pygites is unusual for a Terebratulid brachiopod. It shares many of the same features that other brachiopods in it's order except that it has a hole in the middle of it. The hole is created as the shell grows and splits into lobes that then eventually meet back together and enclose a hollow area. This is odd behavior for a brachiopodand I've only seen a handful of genera that have even exaggerated lobes, such as Dicoelosia from the Haragan formation, let alone those that surround a hole. Below are three specimens from the Cretaceous (Hauterivian stage) of Spain that show you the variation in the genera.

Specimen #1
Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

Specimen #2
Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

Specimen #3
Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

I found this blog post about Pygites on the Wooster Geologists site which has some interesting information about the history of the studies of this oddball brachiopod.

Thanks to my friends Jenaro for sending me specimen #1 and Gery for specimens #2 and #3.