Aff Acanthopyge sp
Trilobites Order Lichida, Family Lichidae, Subfamily Trochurinae
Geological Time: Lower Devonian, Eifelian Stage (~395 mya)
Size: Trilobite is 30 mm long by 25 mm wide (counting spines) including a 5 mm by 5 mm hypostome on a 55 mm by 80 mm matrix
Fossil Site: Jorf, Morocco
Code: 18204
Price: Sold
 Description:
The location known as Jorf in Morocco has been a hotbed of new trilobite
species for the past few years. Last year the first example of this
unusual Lichid was shown to the collecting community. Very few examples
have come to light since then, and few are of the quality of this
fine example. This specimen displays the stunning genal, pleural,
and pygidial spines nicely arrayed. While some have indicated it might
be a relative of Belenopyge, to my eyes it seems to have its closest
affinities with the larger, more robust genus  Acanthopyge.
For the sake of expediency I will refer to it as Aff Acanthopyge.
This one is unusual in that the genals display subspines as well as
the hypostome which served as an anchor for the trilobite’s
mouthparts. It is the first and ONLY example I have seen that preserves
the hypostome, which in this case has been rotated some 180 degrees
from the life position. This one comes from the gray layer (right
image) in the Jorf quarry. It seems that the various kinds of these
Acanthopyge-like trilobites (there are at least four) seem to be preferentially
found in either the Gray Layer or the Red Layer. |
