Cretaceous sponges from the Campanian of Misburg and Höver
Pleurochorium Schrammen 1912

Locality. Alemannia, Höver
Width: 30 mm

Pleurochorium schulzei

Schrammen, 1912

Pleurochorium schulzei has been previously reported from Oberg only, as a rare species (Schrammen, 1912).

Here, Pleurochorium schulzei is reported for the first time for Höver. Several specimens were recovered from the Lower Campanian (pilula/senonensis Zone).

The image shows the specimen as found. Notice the very thin conical sheets showing as traces on the sample surface.

Locality. Alemannia, Höver
Width: 35 mm

A second sample of Pleurochorium schulzei, with some sediment removed.

Pleurochorium schulzei consists of an axial tube-like stem with some round openings in the tube wall. From this axis several stacked conical sheets spread out sideways. These sheets are only two or three meshes thick.

The skeleton consists of a fairly regular cubic meshwork, with some interspersed triangular meshes. The hexactines are smooth with slightly enlarged nodes.

Pleurochorium schulzei. Reproduction from Schrammen (1912)

The reproduction shown here is from Schrammen's (1912) original description of Pleurochorium schulzei from Oberg (near Ilsede, east of Hannover. Unfortunately, the marl quarry of Oberg has been comlpetely re-filled).

Schrammen dissolved all the adherent sediment in acid to show the bare skeleton. This is not possible for specimens from Höver, because their skeletons have lost some of their original coherence during fossilization.

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