Gastrochaenolites (Leynerie, 1842)

DESCRIPTION: Clusters of elongate to short, clavate-shaped (club-like) to flask-shaped tubes in hardground (boring) or in firmground (burrow); aperture region narrower than the chamber and can be circular, dumb-bell or oval shape; chambers may be subspherical to elongated. Can have thin calcareous linings.

BEHAVIOR(S): Domichnia; dwelling trace of a suspension feeder.

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS: Found in hardgrounds or some firmgrounds in shallow and shallow marine settings (Benner et al., 2004).

POSSIBLE TRACEMAKERS: Bivalves.

GEOLOGIC RANGE: Ordovician-recent

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Emended by Kelly and Bromley, 1984. Ekdale and Bromley, 2001; Donovan, 2003; Benner et al., 2004