Palaxius

Favreinidae with internal canals crescent- or hook-shaped in cross-section.

Source: Knaust, Dirk. (2020). Invertebrate coprolites and cololites revised. 10.1002/spp2.1297.
Morphology: 
Cylindrical
Rod
Structured

Crustacean Coprolites with Canals

This cluster of coprolites was found on a beach near the mouth of Middlesex County beach on the Rappahannock River. Decapods (a type of crustacean), such as ghost shrimp and crayfish, produce fascinating rod-shaped fecal pellets containing little canals. The canals can have all different shapes. Each of the pellets in this specimen have 10 crescent-shaped canals. The shape, number and position of the canals fits with the ichnotaxon description for Palaxius decemlunulatus.

Crustacean Coprolites with Canals

This little cluster of coprolites was found on a beach near the mouth of Middlesex County beach on the Rappahannock River. Crustaceans such as ghost shrimp and crayfish produce fascinating rod-shaped fecal pellets containing little canals. The canals can have all different shapes. These have crescent-shaped canals.

The pellets likely accumulated in an empty burrow, shell or other crevice near the home of crustacean that created them. 

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