Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Vermipora serpuloides coral from the Kalkberg formation of New York

Here we have a strange looking coral that was found in the Kalkberg formation. It resembles cross between a stick coral and an auloporid type coral. The closest match I can find for this is Vermipora serpuloides which I found in the "Palaeontology of New York", Vol. 6, pg. 5, plate ii, fig 24-31:

Corallum ramose, consisting of continuous serpula-like cell tubes, without
intercellular tissue, arising from the center of the branch, and increasing by
lateral gemmation. No transverse diaphragms or mural pores have been
observed in the typical species of the genus.
And here is a screen grab from the .pdf file that is linked above.


 I only have one piece of this odd coral.
This closeup shows the rambling nature of the corallites and how they look like worm tubes, thus the generic name.




This specimen was collected from a roadcut near Schoharie, NY in the Kalkberg formation (Devonian, Lockhovian to Pragian stage).

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