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The Lower Carboniferous shrimp Tealliocaris from Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

D. E. G. Briggs  and
E. N. K. Clarkson
D. E. G. Briggs
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Goldsmith's College, University of London, Rachel McMillan Building, Creek Road, London SE8 3BU, England.
E. N. K. Clarkson
Affiliation:
Grant Institute of Geology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JW, Scotland.
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Abstract

Tealliocaris is probably one of the best preserved of all Carboniferous crustaceans. It occurs scattered through the 12 cm thick laminated Gullane ‘shrimp-bed’. The cuticle is exceptionally well preserved and the specimens, which are normally complete, are infilled with fluorapatite. The carapace has an elongate rostrum, a defined frontal area, a median ridge and paired gastric and inner and outer lateral ridges. The eyes are borne on a stout peduncle. The first antenna bears a pair of flagella, the second an antennal scale and long flagellum. The mandible is large and heavily sclerotised with molar and incisor process. The maxillae and anterior thoracopods are poorly preserved. The posterior six thoracopods each have a long segmented endopod and annulated setose exopod. More than half the specimens preserve lamellae which may represent branchial epipods, or floor a brood chamber beneath the carapace on either side of the thorax. The pleopods are biramous. The telson and uropods form a tail fan. In the absence of oostegites Tealliocaris cannot be assigned to the order Mysidacea but its affinities lie close to these Eumalacostraca. Tealliocaris walked on the thoracic endopods, but could also swim using the pleopods and thoracic exopods. The mode of feeding is uncertain. Tealliocaris probably inhabited a brackish lake or lagoon, but its distribution elsewhere suggests that it may have been tolerant of a range of salinities.

Keywords

CarboniferousecologyMalacostracamorphologysystematics.
Type
Evidence for life habits from exceptionally preserved faunas
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 76 , Issue 2-3: Fossil Anthropods as Living Animals , 1985 , pp. 173 - 201
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1985

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