Queensland Devonian rocks contain Pentamerus, Atrypa and Spirifer. In Western Australia the Devonian species are Atrypa reticularis, Spirifer cf verneuili, S. musakheylensis and Uncinulus cf. timorensis.
Carboniferous Brachiopods.—
The Carboniferous Brachiopod fauna is represented in New South Wales at Clarence Town and other localities by a species which has an extensive time-range, Leptaena rhomboidalis var. analoga, and the following, a few of which extend upwards into the Carbopermian:—Chonetes papilionacea, Productus semireticulatus, P. punctatus, P. cora, Orthothetes crenistria, Orthis (Rhipidomella) australis, O. (Schizophoria) resupinata, Spirifer striatus, S. bisulcatus, Cyrtina carbonaria and Athyris planosulcatus.
In New Zealand the Matai series, referred to the Jurassic by Hutton, as formerly regarded by Hector, and latterly by Park, as of Carboniferous age, on the ground of a supposed discovery of Spirifer subradiatus (S. glaber) and Productus brachythaerus in the Wairoa Gorge. Although these species may not occur, the genera Spirifer and Productus are present, which, according to Dr. Thomson, are distinctly of pre-Triassic types.
Fig. 87—CARBOPERMIAN BRACHIOPODS.
A—Productus brachythaerus, Sow. Carbopermian. New South Wales, &c.
B—Strophalosia clarkei, Eth. sp. Carbopermian. N.S.W., &c.
C—Spirifer convolutus, Phillips. Carbopermian. N.S.W., &c.
D—Spirifer (Martiniopsis) subradiatus, Sow. Carbopermian. New South Wales, &c.
Carbopermian Brachiopods.—
The Brachiopod fauna of Carbopermian age in New South Wales is rich in species of Productus and Spirifer. Amongst the former are P. cora (also found in Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania), P. brachythaerus (also found in Western Australia and Queensland), ([Fig. 87 A]), P. semireticulatus (also found in Western Australia, Queensland and the Island of Timor, and a common species in Europe), and P. undatus (also found in Western Australia and Queensland, as well as in Great Britain and Russia). Strophalosia is an allied genus to Productus. It is a common form in beds of the same age in W. Australia, Tasmania, and New South Wales. The best known species is S. clarkei ([Fig. 87 B]). This type of shell is distinguished from Productus in being cemented by the umbo of the ventral valve, which valve is also generally less spinose than the dorsal. When weathered the shells present a peculiar silky or fibrous appearance. The genus Spirifer is represented in W. Australia by such forms as S. vespertilio, S. convolutus, S. hardmani, S. musakheylensis, and S. striatus; whilst S. vespertilio and S. convolutus are common also to New South Wales ([Fig. 87 C]), and the latter only to Tasmania. S. vespertilio is found in the Gympie beds near Rockhampton, Queensland; and S. tasmaniensis in Queensland (Bowen River Coal-field, Marine Series), New South Wales and Tasmania. Of the smoother, stout forms, referred to the sub-genus Martiniopsis, we may mention S. (M.) subradiatus, which occurs in W. Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania ([Fig. 87 D]).