Silurian Corals

Favosites.

This is a common coral found in the limestone on Wenlock Edge. I believe this species to be Favosites gothlandicus.

These were important in building up the thick coral reef mass which, after faulting and erosion, became the Edge.

Halisites.

On my second trip to Wenlock Edge I specifically looked for pieces of the 'chain coral' Halysites but without any luck, or so I thought. On examination of a large piece of reef, collected for other purposes, I found several pieces of the coral that I wanted.

I have superimposed a drawing made using the actual specimen as a guide on the image on the right as the photograph is a bit lacking in detail.

Solitary Corals.

Solitary corals come in many and varied shapes and sizes. They are usually in the form of columns with nearly parallel sides or are horn shaped.

This is a Tryplasma sp. The bottom end ( to the left ) does taper to a point of attchment but this is partly obscured by an attached brachiopod.

These are both Ketophyllum sp. and are fairly common in the Wenlock limestone.