Neovermilia cf. ampullacea (J. DE C. SOWERBY, 1829)

Kočí, Tomáš & Jäger, Manfred, 2013, Sabellid And Serpulid Worms From The Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (Upper Cenomanian - Middle Coniacian) Originally In The Collection Of Professor Antonín Frič, Acta Musei Nationalis Pragae Series B 69 (3 - 4), pp. 129-146 : 137-138

Neovermilia cf. ampullacea (J. DE C. SOWERBY, 1829)

Pl. 1, figs 4 a–b; Pl. 2, fig. 4

1883 1889

Serpula macropus SOW ; Frič: p. 128, fig. 115 a–b. Serpula macropus, SOW ; Frič: p. 96.

M a t e r i a l. The original specimen figured and mentioned by Frič (1883, p. 129, fig. 115) from the Middle Turonian Iserschichten of Choroušky (Choroušek), but labelled from Živonín, coll. National Museum, Prague, registration number NM O6050 .

D e s c r i p t i o n. A curved tube, attached to a substrate along its entire preserved length. Frič oriented the specimen so that the posterior tube portion is situated in the lower part of the drawing and seen from above, whereas the less well preserved anterior tube portion is situated in the upper part of the drawing and seen in lateral aspect. The tube has a small but distinct keel which is undulated in the posterior tube portion but straight in the anterior tube portion. Tube width at the base is 5 mm. Diameter of the lumen is 1.4 mm. The transverse ornamentation consists of densely packed parallel striae and ribs which are curved so that they protrude anteriorly at the base and at the keel. However, in Frič’s drawing the transverse ornamentation is shown idealized and a bit too regular. The tube is triangular in cross-section. The lumen is circular. The cells of the basal cellular layers are broad.

R e m a r k s a n d r e l a t i o n s h i p s. Following Geinitz (1875), Frič and other authors of the 19 th century and first decade of the 20 th century misdetermined the morphological variety of Neovermilia ampullacea with a keel and triangular cross-section as Serpula macropus J. DE C. SOWERBY. However , this species, which today is named Pyrgopolon (Septenaria) macropus (J. DE C. SOWERBY) and is well defined by morphological as well as structural features, occurs only very rarely in BCB. Frič’s tube is a triangular keeled specimen of the very variable group of Neovermilia cf. ampullacea (J. DE C. SOWERBY) . However, its distinct and curved transverse ribs are rather unusual for Neovermilia cf. ampullacea and resemble the genus Placostegus PHILIPPI instead, but the tubes of Placostegus are usually smaller, therefore Neovermilia cf. ampullacea seems to be the more reliable determination.

P a l a e o e c o l o g y. Like most serpulids, Neovermilia ampullacea is an epibiont usually attached to a litho- or bioclast, for example an oyster or inoceramid valve, an ammonite shell or a sponge. However, some specimens are attached to a foreign object with only a short posterior tube portion and later are attached to their own previously built tube portions and/or may built a more or less long free anterior tube portion. For more detailed informations see Sklenář et al. (2013).

O c c u r r e n c e i n B C B. Middle Turonian – Živonín.