Brachiopods or Scallops?

[albertomimo]

I have a number of pieces of fossil parts collected at Peace river in Florida. I do not have the complete fossil. How do I differentiate between scallops and Branchiopods?

[Max-fossils]

Posting a picture of the specimens in question is the best thing to do for a proper identification. 

With fragments, scallops (or bivalves in general) can be pretty hard to separate from brachiopods. 

 

But in general, I think Florida has mostly bivalves, I think brachiopods are pretty much never found (at least I personally have never heard of any brachiopods coming out of there, apart from the Glottidia). 

[caldigger]

I think Floridian deposits are too new for brachs.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Brachiopods have a plane of symmetry down the middle of the valves, bivalves plane of symmetry is between the valves. 

Thanks to the Museum of Kentucky for the picture. 

A branchiopod is something else entirely. 

[albertomimo]

that's so much

Alberto

[Plantguy]

Yes, we actually do have some brachs around here in FL but they aren't really common finds. I dont recall one/actually seeing one from the Peace River drainage. Please post some pictures if you get the chance--both surfaces of the shells/interior and exterior..My guess is that you have one of the bivalves. @caldigger, @Max-fossils

 

Here's one I found who is on the underside of a barnacle and another separate smaller single valve...Discinisca, Pliocene, Tamiami Formation, Sarasota County, FL. 

 Regards, Chris 

On 9/10/2018 at 1:35 PM, caldigger said:

I think Floridian deposits are too new for brachs.

 

On 9/10/2018 at 11:20 AM, Max-fossils said:

Posting a picture of the specimens in question is the best thing to do for a proper identification. 

With fragments, scallops (or bivalves in general) can be pretty hard to separate from brachiopods. 

 

But in general, I think Florida has mostly bivalves, I think brachiopods are pretty much never found (at least I personally have never heard of any brachiopods coming out of there, apart from the Glottidia). 

Regards, Chris 

[caldigger]

Chris, that is a Limpet. A gastropod.

[westcoast]

4 hours ago, caldigger said:

Chris, that is a Limpet. A gastropod.

Although it's a bit hard to say from the images think it liooks more chitonphosphatic and so Discinisca is a better id than limpet.

[Al Dente]

On 9/10/2018 at 1:35 PM, caldigger said:

 

I think Floridian deposits are too new for brachs.

 

 

5 hours ago, caldigger said:

 

Chris, that is a Limpet. A gastropod.

 

There are still brachiopods living off the coast of Florida and just about everywhere else. Here is a screen capture from the Florida Museum web site showing an inarticulate brachiopod similar to Plantguys.

[Coco]

Looks like a Calyptraeidae https://www.google.com/search?q=calyptraeidae&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiihJSi1rfdAhVKxhoKHePRA04Q_AUICigB&biw=1408&bih=736#imgrc=H22rbVkszashhM:

 

Coco

[abyssunder]

12 hours ago, Plantguy said:

Here's one I found who is on the underside of a barnacle and another separate smaller single valve...Discinisca, Pliocene, Tamiami Formation, Sarasota County, FL. 

The morphology of the inner side of the valve will help in the ID.
As seen below, the resemblance might be good.

 

excerpt from U. Radwanska & A. Radwanski. 1989. A new species of inarticulate brachiopods, Discinisca steiningeri sp. nov., from the Late Oligocene (Egerian) of Plesching near Linz, Austria. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 90: 67-82