Some Aspects of the Ecology of Lingula (Brachiopoda) in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

Abstract

Lingula is one of the most morphologlcally conservative genera known. Thls brachiopod has remained essentially unmodified for 350-400 mllllon years (Hyman, 1959. Paine, 1963). It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, llvlng animal genus wlth a fossil record, and is well represented in the geologic column from the Ordovician. Deposits containing Lingula are thought to have been formed in a shallow, warm, sea water environment (Weller, 1957, Cloud, 1948). Their fossil remains occur on all continents (except possibly Africa) in most kinds of sedimentary facies, but most frequently ln black-shales and related sediments (Moore, Lalioker and Fisher, 1952). [...] This investigation, which extended from June 1967 to February 1969, deals with the distribution, limiting factors, interspecific interactions, feeding, growth and other aspects of the life history of Lingula reevii in the southern sector of Kaneohe Bay. The main objectives were 1) to understand the ecological position of Lingula reevii, especially with respect to limiting factors, interspecific interactions, distributional pattern and growth and 2) to use this ecological information as an aid in the understanding of the ancient environments in which Lingula is found as a fossil.