?Family Siboglinidae Caullery, 1914 (?vestimentiferan)

‘Troodos collared tubes’

(Fig. 10A–C)

1999a vestimentiferan worm tubes Little, Cann, Herrington, & Morisseau: 1028, fig. 2b, c.

Material. Kambia 401b, 4061, 4062; Kapedhes 2031, 2051, 2081; Memi 212b2, 2021; Sha 3011, Small worm tubes with collars, generally occurring with other similar tubes. Collected by C. T. S. Little.

Occurrence. Massive sulphide deposits. Troodos Ophiolite, Cyprus. Turonian, Late Cretaceous (Oudin & Constantinou 1984; Little et al. 1999a).

Description. Pyritic worm tubes 0.6–1.9 mm in diameter, which appear to have been hard, sinuous, non-branching and not attached to other tubes (Fig. 10A, B). It is not discernible whether or not the tubes taper. The tubes possess short collars which are sometimes slightly flaring and at times are positioned at an oblique angle relative to the tube (Fig. 10C). The tube surface between adjacent collars appears smooth and unornamented (Fig. 10B).

Remarks. The similarity of these tubes to those made by vestimentiferans was highlighted by Little et al. (1999a), in particular to the spiralling tubes of Alaysia spiralis . Siboglinid, chaetopterid and serpulid tubes may all possess collars and occur at vents, while siboglinid and serpulid tubes may both be highly spiralling. Although the cladistic analysis grouped these tubes with siboglinids when more homoplasy was allowed (Fig. 23B), they cluster near serpulids within the PCA plot (Fig. 21). Although small, the collars of the tubes are at times flaring and attached at an oblique angle with respect to the tube, which are features more readily observable on siboglinid tubes (those of vestimentiferans and frenulates). These tubes are therefore tentatively suggested to have been made by vestimentiferans rather than serpulids.